The Ruby Slippers of Oz
by WTalespinner
Summary: Facing eviction from their farm in Kansas, Dorothy Gale returns to the land of Oz to make a desperate plea to the Scarecrow King. She is unaware, however, that another wicked witch…and a foul-tempered cobbler…are taking advantage of an unfortunate accident which indefinitely neutralizes Glinda. An unofficial sequel to the 1939 film based on L. Frank Baum's Oz books!
1. I: The Game's Afoot

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – **

**While I am more of a fan of L. Frank Baum's fourteen original Oz stories compared to the MGM film adaptation of the first book, I decided to try my hand at creating an unofficial sequel story which picks up where the 1939 movie ended.**

**Owing to the common, and often problematic, practice of screenwriters making adaptations using more than one book in a series(as had been demonstrated in 1985 with Disney's ****_Return to Oz_****, which adapted the second and third books of Baum's Oz series), I am extracting elements from some of the Oz books to create this "sequel", which I'm hoping will appeal to fans of the oft-explored concept of a romantic pairing between Judy Garland's version of Dorothy Gale and Ray Bolger's take on the Scarecrow.**

**And if it doesn't? Well…at least I tried. :)**

**Diehard fans of Baum's books now stand warned of my intentions here, and with the exception of any original characters herein, all credit for the known characters of the Oz series goes to L. Frank Baum(except in the case of those copyrighted elements…such as the ruby slippers…unique to the MGM movie).**

**One last thing: Owing to my usual choice of plot elements? Expect a physical transformation or two. ;)**

**Hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

><p><strong>I: The Game's Afoot<strong>

Like a thick black cloud billowing forth from a closed space, winged simians emerged from an opening at the highest spire of the once-dreaded castle of the Wicked Witch of the West just as a mob of fur-clad, green-skinned warriors breached the door to the chamber where the witch's winged monkeys were allowed to dwell.

Now that their wicked mistress was gone…literally melted away by a young girl the green-skinned crone had captured…the winged monkeys had no choice but to return to their _true _master, having fulfilled the first of his three wishes.

_Loyally serve the needs of the Witch of the West until she places the ruby slippers upon her feet, or until the unlikely event of her death._

The monkeys had hesitated prior to their retreat, wondering if the powerful witch's demise was nothing more than a trick intended to deceive her slayer, who had since departed from the castle. Since the witch's remains never reformed, they concluded that the witch was truly dead, if only to keep from being butchered by the angry mob bursting into their room.

The winkie guards stared up at the dark, writhing cloud, hearing their chittering and screaming growing more and more faint as they ascended into the early morning skies.

It was then that the guards noticed their skin slowly reverting back to its normal color, and the horrific facial features of the witch, which their former mistress had forced upon them all through her magic, began to become a bit more human. No longer would these freed winkies need to bear having gnarled, pointed noses or boil-ridden green skin.

At last, they could walk among their winkie countrymen without fear of being acknowledged as monsters, and they once again sang out their joy over the demise of the Wicked Witch of the West.

At last, peace and prosperity would return to the western Winkie Country.

* * *

><p>Although most people in and around the land of Oz were content…and in many cases, quite festive…in the knowledge that the wicked witches who once tormented the land had been destroyed, others felt a sense of melancholy for the fact that the gingham-skirted young girl who had played a part in their demise…Dorothy Gale…was now gone.<p>

None, however, felt this melancholy more than the one who had been ordained the new ruler of the land by its former figurehead…the great and powerful Wizard of Oz…who had left his people the same way he had discovered their land: by way of a hot-air balloon.

Making matters worse for the land's newest King…known in name, as well as in nature, as the Scarecrow…was that he had no real interest in being a King, even after being given the great wizard's blessing. As much as he now longed to return to his 'post' in Munchkinland, the crown that had been stitched to his forehead reminded him that he could not.

He even asked the Royal Palace's head maid, Jellia Jamb, if he could rule from the Munchkinland post where Dorothy had found him rather than sit upon a throne, day and night, administering to the problems of the people and using his newfound wisdom to create solutions. He could also continue to enjoy seeing the always-beautiful skies of the land through his incredibly lifelike eyes rather than being confined to the interior of a throne room.

Jellia, however, reminded him that anyone and everyone in Oz knew the throne room to be a very important place, and that every ruler of Oz must make use of it. Or so it had been proclaimed by Pastoria, the monarch that benevolently administered to his people before his mysterious disappearance.

"Could I at least arrange to have a post made in _here?_" The Scarecrow King had asked. "We could call it…an _exalted _post, for the wise ruler who hangs high and proud above his subjects!"

A smiling Jellia shook her head, however. "Would that not lead to people wanting to 'hang around'…all over the land of Oz…in honor of their King?" She asked.

The Scarecrow surrendered to this wisdom, and although he was able to maintain the appearance of a contented ruler, his true feelings could be seen upon his face when he was alone in the throne room.

It was not that he didn't like helping people out, though. Indeed, since assuming the post, there were many occasions where the Scarecrow was a boon to those desperate for help.

Nevertheless, a scarecrow as smart as he was knew that his longing to be back on his wooden post in Munchkinland was because a certain young girl and her little black dog were no longer around. He surmised that he would have felt more contented to rule Oz if it were possible for the Scarecrow to have Dorothy help him out as an advisor.

His two other friends…the Tin Woodman, who he had learned was once a munchkin man named Nicholas Chopper, and the once-Cowardly Lion Dorothy Gale had so bravely confronted…were quite busy settling into their new lives and responsibilities, so the new ruler of Oz could not vent his laments during his few moments of solitude.

He was happy, however, that they were prospering from their individual initiatives.

Nick, out of the goodness of his well-earned, ticking heart, selflessly volunteered to aid the people of the western Winkie Country, most of whom had been enchanted and cursed to serve the green-skinned crone who had taken their strongest men as her slaves, and tortured the rest of them so mercilessly with her wanton displays of terrible witchcraft. The former slaves needed to re-acquaint themselves with their old lives and families, and homes destroyed during her regime needed to be rebuilt. In this latter case, Nick worked day in and day out to provide as much wood as possible…much of it taken from the Forbidden Forest…for the highly-talented winkie craftsmen as they set to repairing much of the damage inflicted by magical fireballs and summoned beasts.

Although the bipedal Lion still considered himself to be cowardly despite having been given his medal for bravery by the Wizard, he was nevertheless embraced as a King by the natural creatures of the forests of Oz…or rather, by those creatures of the forests of the _southern_ portion of Oz, which was called the Quadling lands. One of those creatures…a malnourished tiger…was the only one to challenge his claims of bravery, and so the Lion had agreed to help rid the forest of a threat which lingered deep in the Quadling woodlands in the wake of the demise of the witches. A large, many-legged creature who had relocated to said woodlands from the Forbidden Forest just to terrorize beasts, benign and otherwise, in and around the Quadling lands.

The Scarecrow had yet to hear if he had succeeded in vanquishing this particular threat.

Jellia, who like her many charges wore a traditional maid's uniform save for the fact that the white apron was tied to an emerald green maid's dress rather than a black one, interrupted the stuffed monarch's lonely solitude with the announcement of a visitor. "Your Highness…a most upset cookie cook from the Yip community, Cayke, awaits your counsel outside."

The Scarecrow gasped with concern. "Dear me! Send her in at once!"

The erudite monarch could hear the faint sound of crying becoming louder once Jellia went back outside the throne room. A moment later, once Jellia entered with the distraught female visitor at her side, Cayke made an effort to calm herself, wiping away tears from her pale, tear-streaked face.

The middle-aged cookie cook was dressed in a sky blue pinafore-style outfit with a white cooking apron tied at the waist. Three pockets stitched to the apron, below the waistline, betrayed the presence of folded pieces of paper in each of them. Her short, but full head of hair was teased out stylishly, and its red and white colors made her hair resemble an oddly-shaped piece of peppermint candy. The full-leg stockings she wore were also red and white-striped.

After performing a respectful curtsey, Cayke's voice shook as she finally spoke, and in a tone which would normally sound quite lovely if she were in more pleasant spirits. "Y…your highness…I wish to report a theft. A terrible theft, which makes me completely unable to do my good work!"

The Scarecrow quickly glanced to Jellia. "A glass of lacasa for this woman, if you would!" Once Jellia nodded and stepped away to prepare the drink, which was unique to the land of Oz, the stuffed monarch turned his attention back to Cayke. "What was stolen from you, my dear?"

Cayke was suddenly overcome with another sobbing fit. "Ohhh! I can never again be a cook!" She wailed. "Positive energy is so important to the yips! My work always makes them happy…especially the younger yips! What am I to _do_, your highness?"

The Scarecrow King placed the stuffed glove of his hand upon the bawling cookie cook's shoulder in sympathy. "There, there…what could you have lost that was so important to your cooking?"

"It was my _dishpan_, your majesty!" the cook then lamented loudly. "It went missing weeks ago! I…I could not see you sooner, as I dared not risk being caught by the witch of the west…but now that she is gone, I am _begging_ you for your help!"

"If it is help you wish, it is help you will receive!" The Scarecrow proclaimed, as Jellia returned to the throne room carrying a large cup of the lacasa drink, which she then offered to Cayke. "Jellia, send forth word to my people that their king demands the presence of the four generals of each of the armies of Oz at once!" The Scarecrow commanded.

With a curtsey, Jellia hurried outside. Among her many duties under King Pastoria was that of a town crier in addition to her services as the Royal Palace's head maid. As the Emerald City was regularly filled with people from all over the four lands of Oz…Munchkinland in the east, the Quadling lands of the south, the Winkie Country in the west, and the Gillikin provinces in the north…the message would indeed be spread as the Scarecrow desired.

At the stuffed monarch's gentle urging, Cayke slowly drank the lacasa beverage with a shaky hand, and its delicious contents calmed her mind some. "Tell me, my dear, what this dishpan looks like, if you would." The Scarecrow then asked.

After a couple of sniffles, the cookie cook looked to the stuffed monarch, wiping her eyes. "It's made of solid gold." She began. "And…lined with diamonds."

* * *

><p>The cobbler's hammer was intended for a nail as he listened to his winged visitor. Nothing more than a simple repair job on a boot.<p>

After what he had heard, the hammer instead struck the hard leather heel itself, causing the shaped leather piece to flip wildly upwards.

"_WHAAAAAT? _Dead?" The old man's voice growled, his aged eyes glaring upon the simian creature in front of him. "What about the slippers I made for her sister?" He then angrily asked.

With the enchanted, gold-colored cap upon his head, the slim-figured old man was able to understand the chittering of the winged monkey, who explained the events that led to the demise of the green-skinned witch.

Once the monkey finished chittering, the gray-haired old man's face looked a little more angry. "Those ruby slippers were my finest work! I don't care what you have to do, but I do hereby wish that those ruby slippers be found, and returned to me!"

The miserly, hawk-nosed old cobbler then heard a knock at the front door of his home. Snapping his old head in the direction of the door, he then whipped his head back to the single winged monkey in front of him, while at the same time pulling the gold cap off of his head. "Off with you! But remember well that your lot owes me _one more wish!_"

The single winged monkey flapped back out the window of the old man's workshop as another round of knocking was heard. "A pox on your impatience!" He growled as he made his way slowly through the workshop to the front store section of his two-floor cobbler's business dwelling. "End that rancorous banging, or be denied your request!"

Pushing the front door open angrily, he fixed a nasty frown upon whomever waited there. "_What is it?_"

The young boy at the door jumped and let out a gasp, shocked by the angry old cobbler's appearance. Still jittery from the shock, the timid young boy swallowed audibly before speaking quietly. "Um…s…sorry, sss…sir…" He then held up what looked like a pair of boots, both of them looking battered and worn. "…M…Miss Mombi sent me t…to give you these."

"Oh, Mombi sent you, eh?" The old man mused, stepping intimidatingly close to the smaller visitor. "You must be that pitiful servant boy she told me about."

"Y…yes, sir." The boy nervously answered, lowering the shoes.

"Well, don't just stand there, blubbering and quivering!" the grumpy old cobbler growled. "Get in here and wait!" He then snatched the shoes from the boy's hands. "Give me those!"

Nervously settling into a single chair, the boy…who wore a set of aged and somewhat tattered purple clothes…kept quiet as he heard the nasty-mannered man muttering incomprehensibly as he worked in the other half of the room, which was separated by a wall and a single door. The boy idly looked around the shop area, seeing various pairs of shoes of all sizes, all of them in pristine condition.

One particular set of shoes caught the boy's eye as he continued to wait, even though they didn't particularly stand out among the other pairs of footwear on display in the shop. He stood up and quietly wandered over to get a closer look.

He then slowly raised a hand to touch this particular pair of shoes…

"DON'T TOUCH THOSE!" The old man snapped, now directly behind the boy, who whipped his head to face the angry shoemaker with a frightened face. "They wouldn't fit you anyway! Those shoes were made for a _man_, not a boy!"

The little boy lowered his head submissively. "S..sssorry, sir."

With a snort of derision, the old man turned towards the door to the workshop…but stopped a couple of paces from it. The boy looked towards the old cobbler curiously.

"How often do you go to the Emerald City, boy?" The old man then growled, still facing his workshop door.

"Nnn…never, sir." The boy responded. "Mombi doesn't want me going there."

The grumpy cobbler then turned back to the boy with a menacing look. "But you will go for _me_, if you expect me to continue this…surprisingly hard work on her shoes!"

The frightened boy gasped. "But…but I…I can't go there! Wh…what if she catches me? She could be _anybody!_"

"Not my concern, brat." The old man growled. "I won't perform one more minute's work unless you go to the Emerald City and find out the name of the girl who killed the Wicked Witch of the West! Unless you can tell me her name _now?_"

"I…I don't know, sir." The boy timidly replied. "I don't get out much."

A wicked yellow grin full of misshapen old teeth was now on the cobbler's mouth. "Perhaps you would prefer that I stop work, and leave you to tell Mombi that you kept her payment to me for yourself?"

The boy was now scared out of his mind. The old man could see him sweating now. "But…b..but she…she'll _catch _me…please…"

"NO 'BUT'S, BRAT!" The cobbler then fired a finger to the front door. "OFF with you! Find out that meddlesome girl's name! Do not return until you have _learned_ it!"

"But…please, sir…"

"_GO_, you whining little _pup!_" The old cobbler snapped.

With another gasp, the boy rushed out the front door and dashed away from the cobbler's home. The grouchy old man moved to the large window of his shop and confirmed that the boy was indeed heading in the direction of the Emerald City.

With a menacing chuckle, he slowly moved back into his workshop, keeping Mombi's fully-repaired, but unpolished shoes idle. He moved to the opposite half of his workshop, which was curtained off.

All he could do, for the moment, was wait. Wait for that silly little boy to give him the name he needed to find out who it was that killed the witch of the west.

In this more private section of the workshop, the old man moved towards one of the walls, upon which a single round, flat object had been hung. Passing the strange and unusual odds and ends that were on a nearby table, he looked upon his own reflection in the mirror, which he had acquired from the hut that the Wicked Witch of the East used for her home.

He knew, however, that once he learned the name of the one who not only killed the west witch, but the east witch as well, speaking her name unto the mirror would reveal exactly where she was.

Even if she was in any of the lands far beyond Oz.


	2. II: Glinda?

The barking of a little dog stirred Dorothy Gale from the most amount of sleep she had managed since coming back from a place so real, she refused to dismiss it…as her Uncle Henry advised her to do…as nothing more than a fever dream.

The past couple of days were tough for the young girl. Her memories of being in Oz hung very heavily upon her mind, and it made getting any semblance of sleep difficult. Even for all the peril she had experienced, she genuinely wanted to go back.

But in returning home, she found that the tornado that had ripped through the Gale farm had caused far more damage than what was visibly apparent. The once-fertile land was now a shambles. Although the twister provided Dorothy with her unexpected trip to Oz, its destructive power had made any hope of restoration difficult. At least, when it came to the expenses necessary to make repairs.

The young girl was still lost to her melancholy of being away from Oz when her Aunt and Uncle made a decision which they both knew would upset Dorothy. The expenses they worked out required an unfortunate sacrifice.

The three farmhands…Hickory, Zeke, and Hunk…needed to be let go.

They went to see Dorothy, sitting all alone in her room with Toto resting at her feet, before they left. The overall mood was sullen, particularly when Hunk stepped over to say goodbye.

Hunk turned to his two friends standing by the door. "Why don't you wait for me outside, fellas? I'll be right out."

Hickory nodded, and then gestured for Zeke to follow him over to the front door of the farmhouse.

Hunk tenderly placed a hand upon Dorothy's shoulder. "Listen…I wanted to let you know that I'm gonna try and get into that agricultural university I told you about last week. I'll try to keep in touch, OK?"

Although Dorothy struggled to keep from crying, the tears began to flow freely.

Hunk wrapped the young girl in a tight, affectionate hug as Dorothy began sobbing. "I'll miss you…" she whispered. "…I'll miss you so much…"

A single tear trickled down Hunk's cheek as well as he held Dorothy tightly. "I'll write you. I promise."

Hunk then stepped away slowly, his eyes still on Dorothy. He wiped the single tear from his cheek.

Dorothy sniffled, wiping away the streams of tears under her right eye. She didn't want to say it. Not in front of Hunk.

After a long moment, however, Hunk stepped away and headed towards the front door.

It was a little easier for her to say…in a weak and shaky voice…once he was gone.

"Goodbye, Scarecrow."

Dorothy had been quiet and withdrawn since that day, and although she had emerged from her room to eat with her Aunt and Uncle, she did not say much to either one of them.

Aunt Em was entirely hesitant to begin looking for a bit of professional help for Dorothy, but between her melancholy and the departure of the farmhands, she needed to share the subject, privately, with her husband.

Unbeknownst to Dorothy, however, Uncle Henry knew someone that he figured might be of some help…and when the Kansas girl was roused from her sleep by Toto, the little dog led her over to where her Aunt and Uncle were talking to this considerably well-dressed woman, who was sipping from a cup of tea.

"But Henry…this cure he's talkin' about in the newspaper is s'posed t' be revolutionary!" Em remarked to her husband as Dorothy approached.

"Now, now, Em…if Miss Dawson says Dr. Worley is dangerous, that's all the convincin' I need." Henry replied.

He was the first to spot Dorothy as she wearily walked over in her nightgown and slippers, and the eyes of all three…the Dawson woman, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Em…all turned to the Kansas girl. "Ah, G'mornin', Dor'thy. I'd like you t' meet a friend of a friend." He gestured to the well-dressed woman, who wore a fashionably wide-brimmed hat. "This is Regina Dawson. She'd like t' talk to ya once you've dress'd up."

Initially hesitant to open up to the visitor, it was when Regina lifted her head…and the front brim of her hat, which was the same red color as her skirt and dress jacket…that Dorothy's eyes widened.

Her smiling face, and curly red hair, bore a striking resemblance to that of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

"Good morning, Dorothy." Regina began, in a sweet and pleasant tone that significantly matched Glinda's the moment the Kansas girl heard it. "Take your time in dressing up, dear. Good mental health should never be rushed."

Dorothy slowly nodded and hurried back to her room to begin changing. Acting on her hunch, she decided to dress in the exact same outfit she wore when she was stranded in Oz, and she arranged her hair similarly. A few minutes later, Dorothy re-emerged and hurried back over to where Regina sat waiting for her. She was reaching down to run her slender hand along Toto's black fur when Dorothy returned.

"We'll be outside if y' need us, Dor'thy!" Henry reminded as he and Emily left the orphan girl alone with Regina. They busied themselves with crops, livestock and repairs as Dorothy and Regina began to speak to one another.

Regina was the first to break the ice. "So…I understand you had quite a little adventure when that tornado came through here? Why don't you tell me all about it?"

Dorothy then went into as much detail as she could in sharing her memories of Oz. She told Regina of how the twister pulled the house up from its foundations, and then deposited it in a faraway place which existed over the rainbow. She spoke of how she wanted to get back home to Kansas, and she shared her memories of the Good Witch who had helped her, and the Wicked Witch of the West who had wanted to destroy her.

She said nothing, however, of how the three friends she had met resembled the farmhands, nor of how the Wizard resembled Professor Marvel, and she especially refrained from revealing the fact that Regina was pretty much a mirror-image of Glinda.

Regina just kept nodding as Dorothy spoke, listening with great interest, and never once reacting with incredulous expressions of any kind. She had also produced a pad of paper, in which she was writing notes as the Kansas girl continued speaking of her experiences in the colorful realm she had abandoned for the sake of getting back home.

"How did you manage to return to Kansas?" Regina then asked.

Dorothy frowned, at first, but then she reminded herself that even though Regina _looked _like the one who showed the Kansas girl how to return…

"Glinda gave me a pair of shoes." Dorothy replied. "Slippers, made of rubies. They were on the feet of a witch my house crushed. She was the sister of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is why she wanted to…to kill me."

"Mmmm. Revenge." Regina observed as she continued to write notes on her pad. "And I imagine these slippers were more than just…slippers?"

Dorothy nodded. "Glinda showed me how to use them. Click the heels together three times, and keep saying 'there's no place like home'. I woke up in my bed, and all my friends and family were around me. Told me I had come out of a long dream."

Regina nodded, and then looked Dorothy right in her eyes as she made this next inquiry. "But you don't believe it was all a dream, do you?

Dorothy went quiet, lowering her head for a long moment before she raised her head back up to give her answer. "No. I don't."

"Yet, you were instructed to say the words 'there's no place like home' before those slippers returned you to Kansas." Regina reasoned. "From what I know of the legends of magic use, the effects of magic are partially based on belief. Tell me, dear…did you find anything about this other place appealing? Was there anything about it that you liked?"

"Well…I did make friends, as I told you, and there _were _other people there who were just as nice…"

"And these friends of yours…" Regina closed the notepad and placed it next to the teacup saucer on the nearby table. She then leaned closer to Dorothy. "…do you miss them?"

After a moment, Dorothy slowly nodded, her eyes angled downward. "Yes, I do. They…they didn't want me to go, but…Aunt Em and Uncle Henry would have been terribly worried about me if I didn't come back…"

"What if you were able to take them with you, Dorothy?" Regina then asked. "If you ever found a way to return to…what was this place called again?"

"Oz."

"If you ever found a way to return to Oz, and you had the chance to have your Aunt and Uncle join you, would that make you happy, Dorothy?"

Again, Dorothy needed a moment to think on Regina's inquiry. "Well…I don't think Aunt Em would go anywhere without her hens, and she'd probably be real scared of the lion anyway."

"But let's assume, for a moment, that Oz actually exists. Just as you feel it does." Regina remarked. "_You _believe in it, even if your Aunt and Uncle may not. Do you think it is a better place compared to Kansas?"

After another long moment of thought, Dorothy nodded. "I do."

"Let me ask you this, then." Regina continued. "After everything that has happened since you came back from Oz, which your Aunt and Uncle told me about…is there still 'no place like home'?"

A much longer moment of silence followed as Dorothy's eyes angled downward again. With the three farmhands gone…Hunk in particular…there was no clear answer to Regina's inquiry, even if Hunk had promised to write. The future for the farm in general was uncertain, too, given its state following the damage the tornado had inflicted. The answer she finally gave was about as accurate an answer as she could give.

"I don't know." Dorothy quietly replied. "Now that things have changed, I…I just don't know, Regina."

The woman nodded. She then picked her notepad and pencil back up, pulling away from the Kansas girl, and opened it up to continue writing. "Dorothy…I've always believed, and I will note that this is a personal belief, that for every little misfortune a person experiences, twice as many better things…perhaps even more than that…await said persons in the long run of life."

"Do you believe me, Regina?" Dorothy suddenly asked, her eyes staring right into the older woman's. "Do you believe Oz exists?"

Now it was Regina's turn to go silent, and think of the most appropriate answer in her own quiet moment. She certainly did not want to come right out with a straight dismissal, though. In her own experience as a therapist, going against the grain of a client's thinking was perilous.

"I couldn't say, Dorothy." Regina finally answered. "I have never actually been there, as you have, after all. I suppose that would be an easier question to answer, however, if I actually had _proof_…and by that, I do mean something tangible…that I was there."

Dorothy slowly nodded in understanding as Regina finished her tea, and then closed her notepad once more. She then rose up from her seat, holding the pad under her arm. "I must go for the moment, but I'd like to continue this tomorrow morning, dear. I think it would be to your benefit, and I do promise that…as it was today…it will continue to be between us, and us alone."

Dorothy rose up, nodding in understanding. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

With a nod and a pleasant smile, Regina turned and began clicking her heels toward the house's front door.

Dorothy also turned, but headed back to her room slowly and thoughtfully after all that had been shared between her and Regina. She wondered if she could have somehow hinted at how similar Glinda and Regina looked, or perhaps hinted that Regina _was_ Glinda.

Still, she reasoned to herself that it certainly wasn't too late to make such attempts. Since, after all, Regina was to return the next day.

But one thought lingered on her mind as she slowly stepped into her room, closing the door behind her, and then moving to the window of her room to pull its shade down.

Dorothy then went to her room's closet, opening it, and then pulling what looked to be a bundle concealed within a white pillowcase. It had been buried deep in the Kansas girl's closet, completely outside of common notice.

Pulling the item…or rather, the items…out of the pillowcase, she positioned the matching items beside each other on the bed.

She then stared thoughtfully down at the glittering ruby slippers, which she had found lingering on her feet under the covers of the bed once her aunt, her uncle, and all her friends left her alone in the room following her return to consciousness.

She never let anyone ever dare see this irrefutable proof that her experiences were in no way a mere fever dream…but at the same time, she began to think on Regina's words. About returning to the marvelous land of Oz. Returning to those friends she had made who so selflessly helped her in her perilous journey to get back home.

Abandoning her friends and family, however, was hardly something she wanted to consider. With the farm a shambles from the tornado's rampage, her aunt and uncle really needed her for whatever help she could offer. There was also the notion of waiting for Hunk's first correspondence to her.

With a sigh, Dorothy wrapped the slippers back up, placed it back in the closet, and closed the closet door. Re-opening the shade, the Kansas girl left her room and then went outside to see about offering whatever assistance she could to her aunt and uncle.

* * *

><p>"Ahhh, <em>there <em>you are, you murderous little meddler." The old man once again flashed his horrible yellow grin as he stared upon the image of Dorothy Gale in the enchanted mirror. The girl was staring thoughtfully upon the ruby slippers as he watched. "And you have my _shoes_ with you, don't you?"

The old cobbler turned away from the mirror, however, for the miserly man now had a more perplexing thought on his mind. Would they still work outside of Oz? He had likewise confirmed that Dorothy was now in Kansas, and consequently very far from the land she was once stranded in. In her world, magic was impossible.

Nevertheless, the cobbler knew enough about magic that he surmised the possibility of a very strong belief and/or desire being able to re-ignite the dormant magic within his powerfully-enchanted, ruby-encrusted creation…even in Dorothy's world…to the point where it really could bring the Kansas girl and the slippers back to Oz.

He could hardly send anything within Oz outside of the land to acquire her, either, and he knew sending the winged monkeys to get her would do him no good at all, as they could not fly anywhere outside of Oz. He had already effectively wasted a wish, since the ruby slippers he had tasked the flying simians to find were now confirmed to be outside of the land's lethal, sand-swept boundaries.

His chain of deep thought was then interrupted by the growling of an old woman at the front door of the cobbler's shop. A pained whining…in the voice of a certain young boy who had successfully learned and reported the name of the Kansas girl…accompanied the wicked old woman's merciless scolding.

Chuckling menacingly, the old cobbler grabbed Mombi's finished shoes and stepped towards the front door. He was able to make out words as he neared it.

"…will be the LAST time I send you out on errands, boy! The next time I hear of any mischief, I'll have you turned into a marble _statue!_"

The old man burst out of the door. "_What is all this racket?_" Confirming that it was indeed Mombi, the purple-robed witch of the northern Gillikin Country, his tone softened. "Ahhh, Mombi. Your little brat just wandered off as I was working. Kept going on and on about how he wanted to go to the _Emerald City_, didn't you? How you were tired of waiting! How you were _finished _waiting!"

The young boy looked entirely horrified. "But…but you…"

The cobbler openly mocked the boy's nervous tone. "_Buh-buh-buh-_butbutbutbut! That's all you whine! Butbutbutbut!" He shook his head ashamedly as the boy continued to stare back at the cobbler in disbelief. "Petulant brat! You ought to have your _legs_ turned to marble, at least! Then you wouldn't go running off when you should have been _waiting _for me to finish!"

The old man finally caught the sound of tapping, which he had missed as he was growling at the shocked boy. The tapping came from the tip of a single boot, one half of an old pair of tattered and worn boots Mombi was currently wearing. The old crone's arms were crossed in front of her, and her frowning gaze was staring right at the cobbler.

Blushing, the cobbler presented Mombi with his completed work on her shoes with a more cordial grin. "As per your request, dear." He calmly remarked as Mombi grabbed them, quickly pulling the boots off her stinky old feet and slipping them into the inner spaces of the comfortably re-padded shoes. "Any more work I can do for you, madam?" He then asked, maintaining his cordial yellow smile.

"Mmmmm. Not bad." Mombi observed as she sampled the fit and feel of the shoes. She then looked to the cobbler. "Not unless you can find me a fresh supply of hay. My four-horned cow is being stubborn about it with me."

"Oh, but I've heard your ability to perform transformations has no equal in your country, dear." The cobbler offered, in his deceptively cordial voice. "What's to stop you from turning, say, a petulant little boy into a perfectly good hay bale?" The wicked old man angled an evil eye towards the quivering boy as he made this observation.

"In a name? _Glinda_." Mombi growled back. "I don't know how she finds out these things, but it's said there's nothing anyone does in Oz that can escape her notice, and she particularly _hates_ transformation magic."

The cobbler nodded in agreement, being all too aware of the magnitude of Glinda's own magic power. "If only there was a way she could be dealt with."

"If anyone is to be 'dealt' with for the moment, it's _this _little brat." Mombi indicated the boy, and her eyes again turned to her young servant, leering wickedly. "And when I get back from the Doctor's office, I'll have made up my mind as to how you will be punished!"

Mombi then grabbed the little boy's ear painfully and pulled him with her, ignoring his cries of pain outright as they stepped away from the cobbler's shop, leaving the old man shaking his head as he disappeared behind the shop's front door.

He decided to let any further scheming wait until the rest of his day's work on shoes were completed.

Although Mombi was quite correct in telling the nasty old cobbler of Glinda's habit of learning anything that goes on within…and outside…the land of Oz through a most unique and volumnious form of scrying, the Good Witch of the North was not constantly in front of her large magical journal, for she only consulted it when she was made aware of possible problems manifesting.

On this day, however, it was at the unique request of a most talented munchkinland resident…the good Doctor Pipt…that Glinda opted to travel by way of one of her magic bubbles to the doorstep of the Doctor's home, where his wife Margolotte waited to open the door of his residence to let her in.

From a distance, however, Mombi was on the approach, and spotted the settling of the bubble from afar. Whyever was _she _here, Mombi wondered?

Perhaps she needed to use the kind of magic Glinda despised just to find out…

* * *

><p>"Look who's here, dear!" Margolotte chimed in her tinny voice as she and Glinda moved into the somewhat cramped quarters of Doctor Pipt's workspace. The sweet-voiced munchkin turned to the red-haired witch, who had subtly shrunk herself to munchkin size prior to entering. "Would you like some tea?"<p>

"Not at the moment, Margolotte." Glinda replied, smiling. "As I have other matters to attend to, I am anxious to see what your husband does with the…admittedly _odd_ items he has requested of me."

"Trust me, Glinda! It will all make sense when I'm done!" The male munchkin voice remarked as the speaker…Doctor Pipt, a munchkin with somewhat crooked body features, this a side effect from another of his risky experiments…stepped into his workspace from the adjoining room. A younger munchkin boy wearing colorfully festive clothes was behind him, and he turned to this munchkin boy as he entered the workspace. "Now Ojo, I need you to be very careful with that glass figure. Walk slowly, and place it right on that table there."

The handsome boy, Ojo, nodded and made very slow and careful steps toward the indicated table, where he placed the glass-wrought rendering he had in his hands upon its four feet.

The rendering was revealed to be that of a cat.

Doctor Pipt then looked to Glinda, who now cast a curious glance upon the cat statue. "Would you be so kind as to install those items, please? I'll explain everything once I have them in place."

Glinda nodded slowly, admittedly intrigued at the uncertainty of the old munchkin Doctor's intentions, as she produced the three items he had requested.

Two of them were identical-looking emeralds with long black slits carved into each of them. The third was a series of small pink cubes constructed in a manner that made it possible for them to move around each other with a silent friction.

"Where are the cubes going?" Glinda asked. "And what will be their purpose, if any?"

"Tut, tut! Not yet!" Doctor Pipt's crooked index finger wiggled back and forth. "My creation needs eyes first! Place the emeralds in the sockets, please."

Glinda nodded, and carefully placed the emeralds where indicated, making sure the slits were properly positioned. As they were created according to Doctor Pipt's specifications, they snapped in perfectly, and even had a slight gap so they could move around as if they were real eyes.

"And NOW, we can place the cubes." Doctor Pipt then confirmed. "I trust the material was not too difficult to find?"

"I should warn you, Doctor…the material came from a place in Oz renowned for its insufferable vanity." Glinda noted as she pulled her wand and waved it above the cube, the tip of the wand glowing with magical energy. The cubes, placed next to the cat statue, began to float upwards. Once it hovered next to the cat statue's head, Glinda closed her eyes and concentrated, very slowly moving the wand towards the space just above the cat's head. The cube array moved with the wand, and then became slightly transparent, moving _through _the glass until it hovered at a position just behind…and slightly above…the emerald eyes. The cubes then began to shift in place, moving of their own accord as Glinda opened her eyes and moved the wand away.

Glinda then turned her head, smiling, to Doctor Pipt. "Brains, yes?"

The munchkin doctor nodded in amazement. "How did you…?"

Glinda giggled in response. "Wild guess!"

Doctor Pipt, after comically acknowledging Glinda's reply, then stepped over to procure another glass bottle, this one cylindrical in shape with a cork upon the top lip. "I created this for a client, but she's not here yet, and I have never tested it!"

Glinda nodded. "And, 'this' is…?"

The Doctor took a melodramatic pose. "I call it…the POW-derrrr of LIIIIIFFFFE!" He dramatically announced, flourishing a hand to the bottle, which was indeed filled with a sparkling powder. "It is capable of imbuing inanimate objects with the gift of magical life!"

Glinda's eyebrows raised high, her eyes now wide. "Dear me! And…you intend on bringing this…cat…to _life_ with this powder?"

"That's at my request, Glinda." Margolotte noted. "I've always wanted a cat! Just like that girl Dorothy had a dog!"

And that was all Margolotte was wiling to share. The truth…which she knew Glinda would not like hearing…was that she and her husband were having problems with mice as of late, and she needed a cat in hopes of dealing with them.

"I…hope that's OK?" Margolotte added, seeing the wary expression on Glinda's face.

"Well…I…suppose that would be fine." Glinda relented. "So long as this cat does not cause too much trouble."

Once the Doctor heard Glinda's hesitant approval, he uncorked the bottle and carefully sprinkled the enchanted dust upon the glass-wrought sculpture, which began to glow with a soft blue light.

Behind them, Ojo looked a little more curious about a series of matching bottles on a high shelf, and he had stepped up on a nearby chair to get a closer look at the label.

Liquid…of…Pet…Petrif…

The glass cat let out a loud feline yowl as her glass-wrought joints began to move, and the pink cubes in her head wildly shuffled about in recognition of the cat's apparent shock, which made both Margolotte and the Doctor lurch back in surprise…

…which in turn sent Ojo teetering out of balance! Desperate for a handhold, he grabbed the wooden shelf, which held his weight for all of two seconds before the shelf snapped down, sending the three bottles on the shelf down to the ground.

All three of them shattered, spilling their contents upon the ground. With Ojo barely comprehending what the labels had read, the munchkin boy leapt away from the free-flowing contents that spread all over the floor…

…and, once the spilled liquid came into contact with three pairs of feet, began working their terrible magic upwards, transmuting footwear, cloth, and flesh to solid marble.

And one of those three marble statues, much to Ojo's shock, was Glinda.

Standing next to Glinda, with equal expressions of marble-wrought horror, were Doctor Pipt and Margolotte.

Also staring upon the three marble statues, with a more curious expression, was the glass-wrought feline the Powder of Life had successfully animated. She tilted her head to the side, having instinctively leapt to a space that had not been affected by the liquid spillage.

Ojo was also spared the effect of the spillage, but he was utterly speechless, his expression of horror frozen on his face.

"Such marvelous detail, don't you think?"

Ojo blinked, hearing the female voice purring forth. He slowly turned his head to the only thing in the room that could have possibly spoken those words.

Although Ojo's expression remained horrified. "What…what have I done?"

The glass cat stared back at him with her now-gleaming emerald eyes. "Indeed. This is terrible! _But_…I think I know of a way to correct this. You'll have to get me something I will need."

Ojo blinked again, tilting his own head to the side. "What?"

"A mirror, of course!" The glass cat replied. "I've GOT to see how _purrrrr-_fect I look!"

* * *

><p>It was from a perch that a curious owl was able to look through a window from afar to see the calamity that had turned three unsuspecting individuals into solid marble statues.<p>

Once the lone survivor of the calamity…a munchkin boy…dashed away from the scene alongside an odd four-legged creature that followed him out, the owl glided over to get a closer look at the statues without entering the home.

The bird's binocular eyesight confirmed that one of them was shockingly familiar.

The owl hovered down to the ground, and purple magic energy began to mist and sparkle all around the avian creature, its form bloating and mutating out of shape until a black-furred gargantuan animal…a large ape…stood where the owl had landed.

The ape took great care in plucking the Glinda statue from the drying remnants of the liquid below. Obviously, the creature had no interest in neither Doctor Pipt nor Margolotte. Glinda was by far the more important prize, and the large simian needed to get her out of sight.

For such was the first step in old Mombi's developing scheme, which continued to build in the large ape's mind as the creature quickly distanced herself from Munchkinland…the statue of Glinda on her back…before Ojo brought the Mayor over.

With no Glinda to stop her, and plenty of terrible magic power at her disposal, she could become a most wicked witch!


	3. III: Bothered, Bewildered, Bewitched

It wasn't until the previous evening's dinner that Dorothy found out a little more about Regina Dawson. Her Aunt and Uncle had called in a family favor to have Regina travel out and begin therapy sessions with the Kansas girl. Dorothy's initial concern was that such a service might carry a considerable expense, and that her Aunt and Uncle needed to concern themselves more with repairs to the farm in the wake of the tornado hit.

Her Uncle Henry confirmed, however, that the therapeutic visits would not carry any cost.

It was the only bright spot in an otherwise gloomy dinner conversation. There was little they could do to revitalize the farm. In the post-tornado assessments, they learned that a lot of the livestock were either casualties of the tornado, or had fled from the farm in terror, never to return. Dorothy's Aunt Em was at least relieved to see that her favorite hen, a donation to the farm by family friend Bill Hugson…a hen called Bill by the Hugsons, but later re-named Billina at Dorothy's suggestion when she became a part of the Gale farm…had survived the tornado's rampage.

As much as Dorothy did not want to hear it, Emily and Henry discussed the possibility of abandoning the farm altogether, perhaps even finding work on Bill Hugson's own farm in California.

Dorothy's sudden outburst, however, had silenced the discussion. "We _can't _give up the farm! This is _home_, Uncle Henry! I…I risked an awful lot to get back here! We've got to try and make it _work_, somehow! Maybe we can start small! Build ourselves back up!"

When Uncle Henry broke the silence, he sounded entirely skeptical. "Resources were either ruin'd by that twist'r, or jus' plain dried up, sweetheart. There's not much else we can do."

Dorothy had lowered her head. "Couldn't we give it a few more days…?"

Her Aunt Em sympathetically placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "I honestly wish we could, dear."

Dorothy could hardly sleep that night. The uncertainty of their situation made her entirely restless. Toto, contrarily, was fast asleep, so the Kansas girl slipped out of her bed quietly so as not to awaken her loyal canine friend.

The climate was warm and comfortable that evening, so she figured she'd step outside and wander for awhile, staying close to the farm until she got sleepy. As she neared the living room, however, she heard the distinct sound of snoring.

Moving quietly into the living room, Dorothy spotted Uncle Henry in his comfortable chair. He had presumably fallen fast asleep, perhaps thinking on Dorothy's words at dinner.

But there was something in Henry's right hand, held weakly by the thumb and the index finger, on the verge of slipping down to the ground. A folded piece of paper that looked very much like a telegram.

With Henry fast asleep, he was unable to notice Dorothy pull this telegram from his fingers. Once Dorothy had quietly slipped outside, she opened the telegram and began to read.

**Mr. Gale – **

**We cannot wait any longer for you to produce proof that your farm is capable of sustaining itself any further in terms of productivity. **

**Our offer still stands in regards to compensating you should you decide to willingly surrender the property to us as we had previously discussed.**

**We realize you have a wife and child to think about, but we must move forward with the exploitation of whatever petroleum-related advantages your property can provide us with.**

**You now have two days, upon receipt of this telegram, to make your decision…**

**…****or we will make it for you.**

**We do not want that to happen, and hope you understand our position.**

**Sincerely,**

**Uriah Gulch**

**Standard Oil Co.**

Looking at the date, Dorothy discovered that the telegram was delivered this morning, just prior to Toto waking her up.

She raised her head back up, lowering the telegram, trying to come up with some kind of desperate solution to this problem. No matter how much Dorothy denied it, the work she had helped her Aunt and Uncle with on the farm was enough proof that while they could still live at the house, it could no longer function as a working farm. Revitalization meant quite literally starting from scratch.

And this Uriah Gulch was unwilling to give them the time they needed for that.

As she slowly stepped back into the house and made her way back to her room, she wondered what was meant by what was 'previously discussed'. Did Uncle Henry go to them, or was Uriah trying to force them away from the property?

Knowing her Uncle Henry as well as she did, she guessed that it had to be the latter case.

But what in the world could be done about this, Dorothy thought? Run away and perhaps look for a means of finding Hunk, if not the other two farmhands? It had been days since their departure, and Dorothy had no way of knowing where they could be.

She knew that old fortune teller, Professor Marvel, had moved on from where he had placed himself, as well. Dorothy was clueless as to where _he_ could have gone.

In that moment, there was only one thing she could try. One attempt which would more than likely be a futile one under the circumstances. Regina, however, had brought up the notion, and in the absence of better ideas, it was at least worth a try.

Into her closet she went, and out came the pillowcase-wrapped proof of her journey to a land she was once lost in. When the ruby slippers came out, she found that in the darkness of her room, they were emitting a faint red glow.

Her eyes then went to Toto, who was still fast asleep. If she were to make this move, and it worked, she would be going back to Oz alone. Toto would be forced to remain in Kansas this time.

If her gambit to return to Oz worked, she knew her first stop would be the Emerald City. She hoped she could negotiate with the Scarecrow…who she knew had been made King in the Wizard's absence…for the sake of relocating herself, her aunt and uncle, and all their pets to the land of Oz, effectively becoming permanent residents should the Scarecrow King give his blessings.

Quickly changing back into the gingham dress she knew would make her more easily recognizable if she wound up back in Oz, Dorothy placed the ruby slippers back on her feet, and then clicked the heels together three times.

But nothing happened.

Nevertheless, the shoes still gave off their faint red glow.

She clicked the heels together three times once again, hoping the glow was indicative of lingering magic power.

But Dorothy remained where she was. She felt no magic whatsoever.

Then it hit her.

Although she was not sure the notion would work, it was worth a try. Dorothy closed her eyes.

The heels once again clicked together three times.

At this point, Toto's eyes fluttered open, his little canine body stirred by the faint sounds.

With a shaking, whispery voice, she began repeating the words to herself. As she spoke them, she had to pause to swallow a lump that formed in her throat as tears streamed down from her eyes. If this didn't work…

"There's no place like Oz…" she whispered to herself. "…there's no place like Oz…there's no place like Oz…"

* * *

><p>The sound of a dog's howling brought Emily out of her sleep. It was a troubled howling that was no doubt being emitted by Toto.<p>

Quickly grabbing her robe, Emily made her way to Dorothy's room. The howling got louder as she closed in on the open door.

Toto's ears were lowered, and he looked entirely sullen, sitting upon the ground. The reason was obvious once Emily stepped into the room. Her eyes widened in shock.

Dorothy Gale was gone!

* * *

><p>The Scarecrow had appointed one person from each of the four armies from each of the four lands of Oz assembled at the Emerald City's Royal Palace…Captain Rigorick of the gillikins, Major Stalwart of the winkies, Commander Practiss of the quadlings, and General Jinjur of the munchkinland army…to select a small group to join them on their search for Cayke's missing dishpan.<p>

Only Jinjur, however, seemed to know what she was doing. The search effort would have been entirely disjointed had it not been for her clear organizational skills. It didn't help things that she was the sole female in an otherwise mostly male group of chosen representatives. Jinjur had to put up with a bit of barely-tolerable male braggadocio in her efforts to form a plan of action.

A part of her wished that she could replace the resident munchkin army with females from all over the land of Oz. She could relate better with her own gender compared to the headstrong nature of most men.

Despite her becoming a General, however, and this at the behest of the many soldiers of the army who respected her, it was when the ordained, overall General and leader of the munchkin army…a rotund, headstrong oaf called Belay…allowed for Jinjur's desired promotion to go forward that he subsequently revealed the commissioning of a new title which he immediately bestowed upon himself, so that he could remain the supreme commander of the army: "Master General Commander".

All Jinjur could do in response to this was to roll her eyes in disbelief, and sigh heavily.

Nevertheless, she was at least grateful to the Scarecrow King for recognizing the fact that she was clearly better than Belay as a leader, and made every effort to make sure the desired dishpan was found.

Sadly, however, the search effort she had organized produced no leads.

As per the Scarecrow's desires, each of the ordained representatives were to report to the Scarecrow himself once they had finished their respective efforts. Once Major Stalwart was finished providing his own report, it was Jinjur's turn to go up.

The Scarecrow, however, looked puzzled. "Jinjur? Shouldn't you be resting? It's alright…I have the munchkin group's report already! Yours was the first to report, in fact!"

Jinjur frowned at this, the notion taking her completely by surprise. "_Resting_, your majesty?"

"Yes! I was told you ran into quite a bit of trouble near the mountain ranges!" The Scarecrow replied. "I must say, you made quite a remarkable recovery to have healed up so quickly! Honestly…you need to be careful around those lions and tigers and bears!"

Jinjur's eyebrow arched up, entirely mystified. "Lions? Tigers?"

"And bears!" The Scarecrow remarked. "Not all of them are as cordial as my good friend, a lion who will no doubt become the King of the beasts!"

Jinjur frowned in confusion. "Your majesty…um…may I ask _who _it was that told you about this 'bit of trouble' I found myself in?" She then warily asked.

Now it was the Scarecrow's turn to display a confused frown. "Wait…you mean, you _didn't _tell Master General Commander Belay to report to me in your stead? He told me you were _viciously_ attac…"

The name was all she needed to hear. Completely furious, frustrated, and humiliated, Jinjur immediately ran for the doors to the throne room and began running not only out of the Royal Palace itself despite the Scarecrow's shouted pleas to return, but also out of the north gate of the Emerald City as well.

It wasn't until she reached a large tree many yards away from the city gates that Jinjur slowed her run to the point where she rested against it, panting heavily. She was still entirely furious over what she knew was another blatant attempt by Belay to prove he was superior to Jinjur.

This wasn't the first time, either. Most of the time, even when Jinjur knew Belay was being belligerent in his superiority complex, she was barely able to tolerate him.

But this was clearly the last straw.

For the moment, she didn't care that she had walked out on a King without being dismissed. For the moment, military decorum no longer mattered to her.

She simply wandered north, not wanting to return to Munchkinland. Jinjur needed to be away from her munchkin kin for the moment as thoughts of the past flooded her mind in her despair.

Jinjur quietly reminisced of how she openly denied any notion of heritage when she made her decision to become a soldier, and not just because she was one of the very few female munchkins to have such aspirations. She was, after all, born into a munchkin family who were connected to the entirely un-militant Lullaby League. It was hoped that Jinjur would follow in the footsteps of her parents, to whom Jinjur was an only child.

Jinjur, however, had become far too much of a tomboy to be dancing around in silly outfits and spinning around on her tiptoes. It was thought that she would instead become a part of the tougher association of munchkins called the Lollipop Guild, but Jinjur denied these notions as well.

Her decision to become a soldier was obviously viewed with great hesitation by her parents. Despite her father's insistence that she become another "lovely Lullaby", it was Jinjur's mother that eventually relented and put a good word in for her daughter's sake with the munchkin army's General, who at the time was a soldier named Croot.

Croot, however, was among the many unfortunate casualties of the clandestine overthrow efforts that were arranged during the reign of the Wicked Witch of the East. Croot was also one of the few munchkin men Jinjur actually had any real respect for. When Belay succeeded him, it was Jinjur who suspected that Belay was nothing more than a puppet of the witch, for he always came up with reasons for the army to never stand against the East Witch in an uprising. Eventually, in the wake of the East Witch's death, she learned that this was true.

But she had no proof.

Jinjur remembered weeping at Croot's funeral, which was arranged when the young human girl who killed both witches returned to the star Glinda called Kansas.

The munchkin officer briefly thought of removing her soldier's uniform in her anger and frustration, but she kept it on for the moment. Glancing at a nearby farmhouse, which looked to be in considerably bad shape despite the presence of a four-horned cow grazing in the nearby fields, Jinjur wondered if she would be better off being a farmer rather than a soldier.

It was this curiosity that had her moving towards the farmhouse.

As she came close to the four-horned cow, she noticed little hands at the bovine occupant's teats below, and they were squeezing milk into a metal pail below the beast. Jinjur also heard a wheezing sound which reminded her of a donkey's bray. Stepping up closer still to the side of the cow, the munchkin soldier saw a pair of feet sitting on a small bench.

Jinjur arched an eyebrow. "Hello…?" She quietly remarked.

The little hands stopped squeezing the teats, and whoever was sitting on the stool was now standing upright. This young person let out another donkey-like wheeze as the feet walked towards the front of the cow to see who was behind her.

What Jinjur saw when this person finally showed his face was a young boy. He looked entirely nervous and…mostly human. There were, however, elements to his young appearance which seemed to explain his odd wheezing.

At the boy's chin was a tuft of gray hair, and the upper row of teeth he displayed looked a bit freakish. Jinjur again made the mental leap to a donkey upon seeing these teeth, and when she spotted the swing of a donkey's tail behind this boy, she wondered if he had been the victim of some kind of curse.

The nervous-looking boy flatly, quietly spoke one word. "Hi."

"Wow…" Jinjur stepped over to him in her sympathy. "…what _happened_ to you?"

The boy lowered his head, wheezing once again despite himself. His face looked entirely sullen.

"It's OK, you can tell me. I won't say anything." Jinjur smiled, attempting to put a hand on the boy's soldier in consolation. "It'll be our little secr…"

"NO!" The boy then screamed, recoiling from the surprised munchkin. "DON'T TOUCH MEEEE_EEEE-AWWWW!_"

He then ran back towards the nearby farmhouse, with Jinjur following right behind him.

They raised a bit of a commotion as the boy and the munchkin made their way into the farmhouse's cellar. Her attention was entirely focused on this boy. She wasn't about to let him escape her sight.

Finally cornering him in the dark depths of the cellar, the boy squirmed against a corner as Jinjur slowly approached him.

"Please relax." Jinjur assured, taking another careful step. "I'm a friend. I won't hurt you."

No response from the quivering, terrified boy, other than another involuntary wheeze.

As much as Jinjur wanted to inquire as to the odd-looking nature of this young human…

…the solid blow to the back of her head that followed, in the silence of the moment, interrupted any notion of interrogation.

For now, there was only the void that came with unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>When Dorothy opened her eyes, following the magic surge which felt all too familiar to her…having last felt it when the ruby slippers returned her home to Kansas…<p>

…the surroundings seemed to look the same as when her eyes were open a moment before.

In that moment, the Kansas girl surmised that the magic, somehow, did not work.

But when she looked down upon the ground, she saw that Toto was no longer there.

Maybe he raced off? He was hiding under the nearby bed? She checked.

Not only was Toto completely missing, but the bedroom area looked old, and its condition was oddly familiar.

Like it had weathered a tornado.

Rushing towards the front door, she opened it…

…and, to her great relief, discovered that once again, she was not in Kansas anymore.

Dorothy had emerged from the lingering remains of the uprooted farmhouse, which did not look very different from the condition she left it in when she first emerged from the front door. Near the house was the very same Munchkinland community, and it looked the same as she remembered it.

Only this time, unlike her initial appearance within the community, there were no munchkins in the area. But there was a fairly logical reason for this, given the faint sounds of snoring she picked up on.

It was the middle of the night.

A smile fully formed on her lips in the next moment. Her gambit had worked!

"I'm back…" she whispered in her elation. "…I…I'm really back…"

Her steps were slow as she moved past the farmhouse remnants and gazed upon the Munchkinland residences, her mind awash in flashbacks to her memories of being greeted by those two groups of munchkins, and then by the Mayor himself.

She also remembered her unexpected encounter with that nasty, green-skinned witch who haunted her every step. A witch she had somehow managed to kill with nothing more than a single splash of water she had intended as a means to save the Scarecrow from a generated ball of flame the witch had so wickedly inflicted upon him.

But with the witch gone, she was fairly certain her latest trip to Oz would be all the safer for her. Thinking of the Scarecrow, her clear course of action now was to get right back on the bright road of yellow bricks and make her way over to the Emerald City. Being, quite literally, his namesake, she at least knew the Scarecrow was in no need of sleep, and so she could talk to him about her Kansas problems.

She just felt bad that this journey down the yellow brick road would not have the festive fanfare she was regaled with before she began her previous journey.

It also hurt that this time, Toto was not alongside her.

As she emerged from the yellow spiral on the ground to walk along the straight route, however, Dorothy heard another sound she never thought she would hear again.

The wild chittering of monkeys.

A swarm of chittering monkeys.

_In the air!_

Her head angled up just as the intimidating cloud of winged, gray-furred monkeys began to descend upon her.

With a gasp of terror, Dorothy raced back to the Munchkinland community.

As munchkins slept very, very soundly and very deeply, however, not one munchkin responded to Dorothy's wild knocking on various doorways, and her cries for help were not heeded by any in the community.

Save one residence, where the inner lights suddenly flared to life.

Fortunately, Dorothy caught sight of this residence, and she raced towards it as the monkeys began to hover just above the streets of the community. As the running Kansas girl neared this particular residence, its front door opened wide, and a bespectacled old munchkin lady gestured for Dorothy to race in.

Simian hands were within inches of getting a hold of the fleeing Kansas girl when she dove through the open door, after which the silver-haired old woman…who was dressed entirely in white…slammed the door shut. Fortunately, not one monkey made it inside, although several of them had collided with the doorway.

Dorothy could hardly believe it. If there were still winged monkeys plaguing the skies…

"It…it's impossible…" Dorothy panted heavily as she whispered in fear. "…I…I _melted _her…!"

The old munchkin woman stepped towards the young girl curiously, pushing her glasses slightly closer to her eyes. "Melted? Whatever do y…_ohhh_, you must mean that nasty, green-skinned witch of the west!" The old woman then realized, speaking in an aged and pleasantly cordial voice. "Oh, now don't you worry, dear. There hasn't been any green-skinned witches in Oz since…since…well, that brave young girl from Kansas came and…" The old woman's consoling expression changed to a more curious one as she stepped closer. "…wait a minute…that girl, she…she wore the very same dress that…"

Dorothy slowly sat up, and then let out a more relaxed sigh. "That girl was me. I'm Dorothy Gale."

The old woman's eyes widened considerably, and her mouth went agape. "Ohhh…dear me…it really _is _you, isn't it? My word! I'm so…so _honored _to have the great champion of Oz in my humble little home! But…I thought Glinda showed you the way back home! I saw you disappear moments after you had clicked those shoes together! What are you doing back _here,_ my dear?"

"I need to see the Scarecrow." Dorothy replied. "He…he is still around, isn't he?"

The old woman nodded, smiling. "Indeed he is, my dear…although I fancy he's not taking too well to the responsibilities of being a King! Still…even though he is not very happy _being _one, he's certainly proving himself to be a fine and just leader."

As the old woman spoke, Dorothy glanced out one of the windows. Sure enough, the monkeys were still out there, and one of the monkeys even spotted the young girl stealing her glance, and this monkey offered a sly wave.

As if to say _yes, we're still here, and we're not leaving without you._

The old woman sighed. "Seems like they know where you are, I'm afraid. You may be stuck here, unless we can figure something out…"

"Thank you for letting me in, by the way." Dorothy noted. "Can I ask who you are?"

The old woman gasped at this. "Oh, where are my manners? Of course, dear. My name is Lo." The old munchkin offered a pleasant smile as she spoke. "Actually, the younger munchkins call me 'Auntie Lo'. Even if I'm not related to them!" She giggled to herself at this.

"Maybe it's because…you're so nice." Dorothy mused, smiling once again.

"Really? How can you tell? You hardly know me!" Lo observed. "How do you know I'm not a bad witch in disguise?"

"Well, because…you wouldn't have let me in?" Dorothy guessed, feeling a little uneasy at this distinct possibility.

"True, true…but then, those monkeys could be under my control." Lo gestured to the window. "What makes you think that they didn't lead you in here, knowing you would be my prisoner?"

Dorothy's heart sank a little, realizing she could have made a terrible mistake in the name of survival. Had her latest quest ended so soon? So _quickly?_

Yet, Lo seemed to be waiting for an answer, and Dorothy ventured another possible guess after a moment of thought.

"Because…um…the monkeys wouldn't be still out there? Waiting for me?"

Another pleasant smile now played upon Lo's kind old face. "Ahhh, an astute guess, my dear. Most astute! If this place were a trap, they would all fly away, content that they had done their duty. But there's something you should know about those confounded monkeys, Dorothy dear. They only respond to the whims of whomever has possession of a certain golden cap, and I have no such cap on my person, or here in my humble home."

Dorothy tilted her head curiously. "A golden cap?"

Lo nodded. "Created by a gillikin princess in the northern lands of Oz. Those few who know about that cap wonder why they were so loyal to the Wicked Witch of the West during her reign. I suspect it was at someone else's wish that they served her as they did."

"You mean…someone _other _than the witch?" Dorothy guessed.

"Mm-hmm!" Lo responded. "Oh…and don't worry, Dorothy dear. Rest assured, I have no wicked intentions towards you. In fact, if you wish to stay until they leave, you're welcome to remain…but I imagine you're anxious to get to the Emerald City, yes? Pay a visit to his majesty, the Scarecrow?"

"Yes." Dorothy confirmed. "And I only have two days. I'd…like to be able to see him tonight, if I could."

"Mmmm. Terribly difficult, given the current circumstances." Lo glanced to the window, confirming again that the monkeys lingered. "If this has anything to do with a wish made using the cap, I don't think they're going to leave Munchkinland. Until they see you leave here, of course."

Dorothy sighed. "I'm really sorry about this…I…I didn't mean to cause so much trouble when I've just arrived…"

"Nonsense. I think if we put our minds to this, we can figure out how to start you on your way." Lo then headed for her nearby stove. "But not without a nice, warm cup of tea, yes? I should have some fresh biscuits here, too."

"But…what if they find some way to get in here?" Dorothy worriedly noted.

"Oh, don't worry, dear. This place is quite sturdy. Everything is locked up tight. We'll see no monkey business in here!" Lo replied as she prepared a teapot, filling it with water, and then pulling a pair of odd-looking jars.

Dorothy let out a more relaxed breath. "Well…if you're sure we'll be safe…"

"Quite safe, sweetheart." The old woman assured as she began to stir in the contents of one of the jars. As the woman, like most munchkins, had a charmingly round and wide body, Dorothy could not see her preparing the teapot, nor see the contents of the jars being pulled out and prepared. All she saw was the sweet old woman pulling a single saucer from a cupboard.

As Lo continued her work preparing the tea and the biscuits, Dorothy glanced to an easel, upon which a large black slate had been placed. It reminded the Kansas girl of a school chalkboard, although there were no pieces of chalk near it. The easel upon which this slate had been placed was near the front window of the room, not too far from the table Dorothy had seated herself at once she got up off the floor.

"Are you an artist, Lo?" Dorothy asked.

"Hm? What makes you think I'm an artist, dear?" Lo placed the teapot upon one of the top burners, where it began to warm up. She then turned to Dorothy curiously…and at the same time, she spotted her own slate and smiled, making it clear why the young girl surmised such a notion. "Ohhh, the easel. Well…you could say that I am _something _of an artist…but not so lost in her work that she forgets to live as responsibly, and as peacefully, as any other munchkin!"

"So…you paint on blackboards?"

Lo noted the manner in which Dorothy asked this, no doubt in the belief that she found such a concept unusual, if not just plain weird. "I would think that a painter would paint on any given surface. Such is the mutable nature of art itself. Perhaps the painter has a reason for the surface to be black. Add certain colors to the overall motif of the artwork being created, and even a hard surface typically used for a school classroom can become just as useful to a painter as a white canvas surface. Can you understand this, dear?"

Dorothy nodded, smiling. "Of course. So I guess you _are _a painter."

"No."

Dorothy blinked. "Then…"

"Then…what am I?" Lo asked, still smiling quite pleasantly. "Just another hard-working munchkin. Not a member of any league or guild. I quite simply prefer to keep to myself. Most of the time, anyway."

Dorothy nodded. "Except when you're visited by children."

Lo nodded back in confirmation. "Of course."

The smell of the tea seemed a bit unusual to Dorothy, but nevertheless inviting as the teapot began to gently whistle its reminder to Lo. She spoke as she poured the contents of the lightly-steaming teapot into the pair of cups she had drawn. "Ah, there we go. Just the right warmth. I know people in your world tend to cook their tea to the point where they need to wait for it to cool down before sipping, but we munchkins are fortunate to have teapots which whistle at the perfect temperature of warmth, so you can sip it right up without waiting."

Lo first served the teacups, and Dorothy noticed that instead of the typically dark brown tint tea tends to have, the tea she had been served was more of a pink color. Lo then placed a saucer full of neatly-stacked, tan-colored biscuits the size of a matchbox at the center of the table. The old munchkin woman then pulled down shades at all the windows, effectively keeping the monkeys from visually spying on them any further, before settling herself into an empty chair across from her smiling guest, who was already sampling her tea.

Dorothy's eyes widened approvingly. The taste was surprisingly sweet and tangy, and just as harmlessly warm as Lo had indicated, so Dorothy was able to take more than just a sip for the delicious warmth she poured down her throat as she tilted her head back. The relaxing warmth seemed to spread all over her body as she reached for her first biscuit.

"I know you had more pressing matters the first time you arrived in Oz, but it would have been nice to have you as a guest among us. At least, for a time. Just to see how we all live our lives." Lo gently observed as she sipped from her own cup of tea. The old woman kept speaking as she rose up to grab the teapot from the counter near the stove. "Even during the reign of the Wicked Witch of the East, Glinda told us to try and be as contented and as busy as we could. Unless the East Witch was about, in which case the best thing we could all do was to hide, and wait for her to finish whatever business she sought to plague us with."

The soft, chewy biscuit Dorothy ate was just as delicious, and seemed like the perfect companion piece to the tea in terms of taste. She was quick to grab another even as Lo filled Dorothy's empty teacup with more of the delicious brew. Lo then placed the teapot next to the saucer of biscuits.

"I suppose that from the perspective of an outsider like yourself, our ways are…quaint." Lo continued, settling herself down onto her seat across from Dorothy, who kept listening…and nodding in understanding…even as she drank down more of another freshly-poured cup of tea. "Most of us are content with that, though. Making colorful things artistic and otherwise, entertaining ourselves, forming our little social groups through which to spread amusing gossip…mostly about that fuddy-duddy Mayor…" Dorothy couldn't help but giggle sweetly at that. "…or even to do the more productive things you're probably used to, like farming! We have _very _good farmers among us, dearie. I fancy you could teach some of us a thing or two, eh? A sweet educator tutoring eager munchkin children who want to be farmers when they grow up?"

The thought sounded amusing, but nevertheless nice to Dorothy as she ate her fourth chewy biscuit and drank her third full cup of tea. Although the biscuits and the teacup were not very large, the Kansas girl began to feel a little stuffed. Nevertheless, she felt entirely content to continue listening to Lo in this pleasant little moment, despite the lingering presence of the chittering monkeys outside. Perhaps Lo would share a little of that Mayor gossip she mentioned as she spoke.

"Yes, it's a pleasant, simple life. Enviable." Lo observed, smiling as she lingered her gaze on Dorothy. "I like being among these people. Maybe a little too much, I fear. I'd invite you to spend a full day among us, but I think if you eat any more of those biscuits or drink any more of that tea, you won't be able to get out of that chair!"

Again, Dorothy chimed a sweet giggle. "I suppose…" she stopped to clear her throat a little. "…I suppose I should get going, but…how am I gonna get past those monkeys, Lo?"

The kind old woman seemed to think on this. "Well…I can lead you to a passage I have hidden beneath a rug in the adjoining room, but…that will only lead you to the back of a residence just across from mine. There's still the matter of making sure the monkeys cannot _see_ you. They are, after all, looking for a human girl wearing a gingham dress and ruby slippers…and they already know what you look like since they spotted you coming out of your farmhouse. I'd say the only possible course of action is to provide you with a very convincing disguise."

"A disguise?" Dorothy frowned. "Well…I suppose I can think of something…but it would have to be a really good one. Do you know anyone in town who could help with that?"

Lo giggled at this. "You've already met one, dear. As we were speaking, I thought of a perfect and most humble disguise. One which would quite easily fool those silly monkeys."

"Really? Well…let's get started!" Dorothy couldn't help but grab her teacup so she could finish off the rest of the tea in it.

"Get started? With what?" Lo then remarked. "Your disguise? You already have it on, dearie."

Dorothy blinked, the cup of tea very close to her lips.

"Haven't you wondered why your voice sounds a little…_different,_ all of a sudden?"

Dorothy's eyes widened at this as the teacup lowered back onto its saucer. She had thought it was because she had something in her throat that made her sound a little weird…

…but then she looked down at a dress that no longer looked like the gingham dress she had entered Lo's house in. In fact, there wasn't a hint of it left at all. What replaced it was a white blouse with long, puffy sleeves, frilly cuffs, and a frilly buttoned strip running down the center of the blouse. Below a belt with a large brass buckle was the stretch of a long, comfortable skirt that reached down to Dorothy's ankles.

It also hit her, finally, that the reason why she felt so stuffed was because her body was now just as cutely rotund as most of the other munchkins! Sliding off of her chair, she just stared down amazedly at her new figure, feeling the roundness of her belly with a pair of pudgy hands.

Lo couldn't help but giggle over Dorothy's amazement, and she led her transformed guest to a long mirror in her sleeping quarters so the Kansas girl could see how different her face now looked.

Dorothy had to gasp, in her slightly-altered voice, as she rubbed her hand over her now very sweet-looking face. It was a bit pale save for the rosy shades at her cutely chubby cheeks. Her lips were a cherry red in color, as if they were painted over with lipstick, and the tip of her nose looked visibly knobby in appearance. Her hair looked radically different, too. It was now a bright shade of ginger, with a single long braid running down behind her to about mid-back, and Dorothy saw that her typical hairbow was now a larger bow decoratively tied at the end of this braid. She had sideburns that were curled inwards like a spiral, and were flat against the skin in front of her ears as if they had been painted on, and two wisps of her hair above her eyebrows curled upwards and inwards from a part in the center of her new hairstyle.

"But…but…" Dorothy turned to Lo. "…how did you…?"

"I'm afraid I have a little confession to make, dearie." Lo blushed as she spoke. "Although I did mean what I said about not being wicked, I _am _a witch. Although I assure you that, like Glinda, I am a most pleasant one. Maybe not as _powerful _as Glinda is, but…I do have my perks, as you now see."

Dorothy looked herself over in amazement yet again. She felt her pale skin, pulled upon a few strands of her hair, and rubbed at the garments she now wore. This was no mere illusionary image. The Kansas girl had been fully transformed, and it seemed fairly academic now as she surmised what the catalyst had to be.

"The tea and the biscuits, right?" Dorothy surmised. "I couldn't help myself…they were so _good_…"

"Just as astute as a munchkin tutor of the Learning Guild should be, dearie." Lo amusedly observed, confirming Dorothy's suspicions. "I did indeed enchant them. The tea worked through your sweat glands, altering the clothes you were wearing through their contact with your skin, and the biscuits worked on changing your body. You are now, to all appearances and senses, a munchkin. As if you had been _born _a munchkin. Just like everyone else native to Munchkinland. How do you feel?"

"I…I feel so…" She twirled in place, and once again looked upon her reflection, finally offering a slight smile. "…_cute_."

"Mmmm. A common sentiment among our kind." Lo observed. "You just need to be careful that you don't lose yourself too much in it. If you don't concentrate on who you really are, you might just forget that you were once human! It's a very slim chance, I grant you…but it's possible."

"How long will this last?" Dorothy then asked.

"Once you have stepped inside the Emerald City's Royal Palace, you will slowly revert back to the human girl you once were, hair and all. Your gingham dress will be similarly restored."

Dorothy then looked down. "Uh oh…my feet are too small for those ruby slippers now."

"I'll see about providing you with adequate footwear. Your feet look about the same size as mine. We should figure out a way to hide those slippers as well." Lo gestured to the glittering footwear. "You obviously don't want those monkeys seeing you with them."

"Could you disguise them with your magic?" Dorothy asked.

Lo shook her head. "I'm afraid not, dear. Those slippers are already imbued with strong magic power. Otherwise, they would not have been able to protect you from the witchcraft of the Wicked Witch of the West!"

"Yet they didn't protect me from _your _magic." Dorothy mused, wrapping the slippers in a bedcloth Lo provided her transformed guest with.

"Or Glinda's, I fancy." Lo added. "No doubt these slippers provide protection against spells cast with wicked intent. Perhaps now, you believe that I am not a wicked witch?"

A pleasant smile formed on Dorothy's pudgy munchkin face as she placed the bedcloth across her body like a sash, making sure the bulges where the shoes were securely hidden were behind her. "You've been far too nice to me to be a wicked witch…Auntie Lo." She then moved forward to wrap the kind old woman in a warm embrace, which the smiling witch reciprocated.

"A couple more details and you should be ready to go." Lo stepped away, and then returned with a cute pair of brown munchkin shoes, and an emerald-colored dress jacket…which was puffed a bit at the shoulders…that effectively added to the schoolteacher-like part of the disguise.

With Dorothy ready for her journey, both munchkins went into the adjoining room, where Lo pulled a rug aside and then pulled a gold ring upwards. A hinged, 20' x 20' square panel opened out of the floor, revealing a tin-wrought staircase leading into a subterranean tunnel.

Lo then led her guest through a generously-sized tunnel passage, which widened at its center. Within this widened space were a bookcase full of books, many of them looking very old, a shelf with various powders, liquids, and other far less attractive(if not downright ugly) items, a rock-wrought surface upon which a variety of beakers and vials and burners had been placed, and another item which Lo had stopped briefly to grab.

She placed this item on the bridge of the knobby nose of her disguised guest. They were a pair of circle-lens glasses. "There we go. This should help you if you find your integrity as a schoolteacher questioned. Remember, too, that if you're asked what group you belong to, you're with the _Learning_ Guild. At least, until you make it to the Royal Palace, of course. Let's get you outside and onto that road now. The sun should be rising in the next hour."

"Yes, yes…all educators must be up bright and early and ready to teach!" Dorothy then looked to Lo curiously. "When is the next meeting of the Learning Guild? And…where is the meeting place? I hope it's close! I don't want to be late!"

"Uhh…well, I believe their next meeting will be at the Royal Palace in the Emerald City, dearie." Lo tried to make this lie sound convincing, since the kind old witch was never a member of this particular group. Fortunately, Dorothy nodded in understanding.

Lo went pale in that moment. Dorothy was either being playful, or Lo was seeing clear evidence of Dorothy not concentrating on who she really was. Either that, or perhaps the magic elements she factored into the creation of the transfiguration tea, and/or its companion biscuits, was a bit too potent. Had she put in a few grams more of the herbal extract than she should have in the biscuit dough mixture, Lo wondered to herself? Or one six-leaf clover too many in the tea mix? Those ingredients had to be perfectly measured, or the disguise would take on a life of its own! "Don't forget to concentrate on who you really are, dear!" Lo reminded.

"Oh! Right…" Dorothy blushed as Lo pulled her munchkin arm towards the remainder of the tunnel. "…Dorothy Gale of Kansas…Dorothy Gale of Kansas…Dorothy Gale of…the Learning Guild…" she whispered to herself as she moved. "…Learning Guild…Emerald City…Scarecrow…Dorothy Gale of Kansas…I, I mean…the Learning Guild…"

Opening another panel at the opposite end of the tunnel, Lo stopped Dorothy so she could check the area outside. Fortunately, the monkeys were in the Munchkinland town square, and for the moment, there wasn't a winged monkey in the area. She quickly motioned to Dorothy. "Showtime, dearie! Come on up and get yourself on the road!"

The munchkin girl nodded and wrapped Lo in one last tight hug. "Thank you, Auntie Lo. For everything."

Lo then kissed Dorothy on her forehead. "Good luck, Dorothy dear. I hope to see you again very soon. Once your business at the Emerald City is done, that is."

"I will. I promise." Dorothy then stepped out of the hole in the ground, just behind a munchkin home, while Lo silently pulled the door shut. Dorothy rubbed at the loose ground around the edges of the panel to better conceal it against the surrounding dry soil.

Rising back up…with a slight bit of effort, as she was still getting used to having a small, rotund figure…Dorothy hurriedly made her way over to the town square, where she knew she could start her journey down the yellow brick road.

She just hoped the monkeys would not give her _too _much trouble.

She also could not show any sign of nervousness or hesitation, or even outright fear. Doing so could blow the illusion before she was even able to significantly distance herself from the Munchkinland area. Taking a deep breath, she held her head high and took her first few steps into the monkey-infested community area as the dark skies above her began showing signs of turning blue.

Dorothy completely ignored the monkeys as they began to flap curiously around her. She heard one of them sniff at her, and another hovered just above her.

"_AHEM!_" She stopped for a moment, having reached the spiral that opened onto the yellow brick road. "Do you mind? You're being _rude!_" She wagged a finger in emphasis.

Surprisingly, the monkeys retreated from her. Dorothy continued along the road as it widened to its natural width. Memories of the past, and the song she heard the happy munchkins sing as she began her first journey on this very road, filled her mind as she proceeded to distance herself safely from the Munchkinland community, and she found herself whistling that very tune as she continued moving.

Although unless the Wizard had somehow returned to Oz in her absence, she knew the song's lyrics no longer made sense.

Clearly, she was _not_ off to see the wonderful Wizard of Oz this time.

Nevertheless, she continued whistling that catchy tune as she continued walking.

By the time the sun was high over the colorful terrain of the land of Oz, she was about a mile out of Munchkinland, and she had left the chittering of the monkeys behind her completely.

As she moved, Dorothy at least maintained the rationale that she needed to get to the Emerald City, and that the yellow brick road would get her there. She also maintained how vital it was that she see the Scarecrow.

But if the Learning Guild was meeting there, that _had _to come first.


	4. IV: That's How We Work The Day Away

A sharp throbbing in her head made Jinjur wince as she began to regain consciousness, but an attempt to move around resulted in a considerably humiliating discovery.

The feisty munchkin soldier was completely bound. Coils of thick, strong rope was wrapped around her midsection, pinning her arms to the sides of her body. Another wrapping of rope kept her lower thighs together. Both sets of rope coils were uncomfortably tight.

Yet, she had been seated on a stool, and there was no gag in her mouth. Further, she found that she was in a cellar that looked a bit different from the one she had been knocked unconscious in.

Although her first real instinct was to scream as loud as she could in hopes of someone hearing her, she had no way of knowing if there was anyone on the upper floors.

At least, until the creaking sound that came from footfalls on an old wooden floor was heard.

Jinjur at least wanted to let whoever this was know that she was ready to face this person regardless of her current condition. "_HELLLOOOOOOOO?_" She screamed out, as loud as she could.

Sure enough, the creaks from the person's footfalls stopped.

Jinjur then heard those creaks head in a different direction. In the next moment, a door was opened, and the munchkin soldier heard footsteps descending down the nearby staircase.

The woman who then confronted Jinjur looked to be a fairly nice-looking middle-aged human woman with a nicely-styled head of hair, and a pair of striking blue eyes. She had a shawl draped at her shoulders which was tied in a large knot under her chin, and just above the swell of her generous chest, which was covered in a white cotton shirt with a high collar and puffy sleeves. A patchwork skirt covered everything below her waist.

"Good afternoon, General." The woman began, in a deep and husky voice. "I…apologize for the restraints. I wish I knew of a way to get them off you, but…well, I suspect it was magic that is keeping them wrapped around you."

Jinjur just nodded in response, still on her guard. "Aaaand…who are you?"

The woman gave a slight smile at this. "Millicent. My name is Millicent. I took a pretty big risk in going into that cellar to get you and my son out of there. I still can't believe what happened to my poor boy…"

The woman's face went sullen for the moment, as if trying to hold back a crying fit. She turned her head away, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to compose herself. Sniffling once and wiping a few tears that had trickled down, Millicent then turned her head back to face Jinjur. "Honestly…with all these witches around making life so difficult, we need to make a stand! Build an army! It's _shameful _that the Scarecrow King isn't considering ideas like this! How many more little boys have to suffer before he realizes we need to fortify ourselves against future threats?"

The notions took the munchkin soldier by surprise. Army? Fortification? Preparing for future threats? These were thoughts the General herself occasionally entertained, but never acted upon. Far be it for Belay to support any suggestions from someone like Jinjur, after all.

"I…sympathize, Millicent." She calmly admitted.

The woman smiled, her composure restored. "I figured you would, you being a General and all. Say…what if I were able to get a bunch of people together? See if _we _could get a strong army going? With your skills and your leadership, we could become the strongest army in all of Oz!"

"You expect me to lead and train an army looking like _this?_" Jinjur remarked incredulously. "I can hardly _move_, Millicent!"

"Well…maybe one of the people I could gather up can figure out some way to free you." Millicent replied. "Haven't you ever wanted to be the leader of a great army, General? Fighting grand battles? Protecting those who can't defend themselves? You could be more popular than that…that Dorothy girl from Kansas who killed those witches!"

"Dorothy…" Jinjur noted. "…I've always wanted to meet her…"

"Alas, she's back in Kansas! Went home, and left the rest of us here in Oz to fend for ourselves! I'm surprised we're still calling her a _champion!_" Millicent disgustedly noted. "You could be _twice _the champion she was, General! Give me a day, at least, to gather up as many able-bodied people as I can. You'll be surprised how persuasive I can be!"

The idea began to sound more and more appealing as Millicent spoke. If anything, Jinjur could show that she's at least a better leader of soldiers than Belay could ever be.

But she also knew that any good leader also needs a loyal body of trained soldiers acting as his…or in this case, her…Lieutenants. Sergeants. Aides and right-hands. Her thoughts were of those soldiers who respected her among the munchkin regiments. If she could get _them _to go along with this idea…

"Before you go looking for recruits," Jinjur began. "there are specific soldiers I'll need to talk with. Take down these names…"

* * *

><p>Dorothy still found it entirely hard to believe that she was now one of the endearing little munchkins. Her new clothes felt entirely comfy on her small, round frame, although they seemed exactly tailored to her body and didn't feel very loose. Nevertheless, she had enough mobility to be able to move along the yellow brick road with a brisk step.<p>

The rotund nature of her small body took some getting used to, though, as there were brief moments during her stride in which she nearly lost her balance and stumbled to the ground. This never actually happened, however, and she continued along the road.

As she proceeded, she began to remember the things she had seen in her first trip along the road, back when she was lost in this magical land. As she walked, she saw that the road was about to split up into two paths, and it was here that Dorothy remembered wondering which path to take.

And it was here that she met the one person…or rather, the one _stuffed _person…that she missed most of all when she went back home to Kansas.

The post the Scarecrow had been hanging on was still there, too. There was not another scarecrow construct replacing her astute friend. She even saw a crow defiantly perching upon the unmanned post.

Dorothy stared upon this post for a long moment, sighing thoughtfully. Even if he were there, she wondered if he would even be able to recognize the munchkin curiously staring up at him.

As she stared upon the post, the sudden appearance of a gray-haired munchkin head…slightly balding, and with a curly beard…popped out from within the green stalks over which the Scarecrow used to hold watch over.

Dorothy gasped in surprise as the somewhat grumpy-looking face tilted his head to the side. His face then softened a bit. "Haven't lost your way, have you?" He then asked. "For everything the Learning Guild claims to be able to teach, I would think you'd know your way around!"

Of course, Dorothy had to play it smart, and play her role as best she could until she was able to reach the Emerald City's Royal Palace. "Of course I do!" Dorothy replied, applying a confident expression she remembered from one of the teachers she liked in the school she went to back in Kansas. "They…told me the next meeting of the Guild was at the Emerald City, in fact!" She then pointed in the direction she remembered taking alongside the Scarecrow. "Down that way!"

The old munchkin man frowned. "Emerald City, eh?" He then stepped forward, out of the stalks, and Dorothy saw that this man was dressed in the blue coveralls of an old farmer. "So they finally decided to start meeting there. They've been talking about that for a long while! Never actually went and did it."

"Well…first time for everything, I suppose." Dorothy remarked, hoping the act would convince the old man. Although there was now a possibility that this meeting was _not _at the Emerald City, despite what Lo had said.

She hoped Lo wasn't setting her up. She hoped she wasn't walking into a cleverly-laid trap.

Dorothy glanced at the unmanned post. "I seem to remember a scarecrow up on that post."

The farmer glanced up at the post. "Oh yeah…I've been meaning to put a new one up there. Never gotten around to it. So much happened to the last one. Ever since I had ol' Doctor Pipt bring it to life, he's become far more than what he was. Played a part in the death of that mean ol' Wicked Witch of the West, he did! Right alongside that Dorothy girl! Last I heard, that Scarecrow's our new King! Can you believe it?"

"I heard he's a really _good _King, too!" Dorothy added, smiling.

"Maybe…although he was real happy when I brought him to life." The farmer admitted. "Swore from that day on that nothing would make him happier than to watch over my crops as best he could. Told me he'd be extra scary whenever the crows came around. Makes me wonder what he's thinkin' about these days. I mean…does he really _want _to be King? Someone should ask him that."

"But…who else could take such a big job?" Dorothy asked. "I heard it was the Wizard of Oz himself who told him he could do it, and you know the Wizard of Oz was a…a great and powerful man!"

"Oh, I don't know…what about that tin man that reminds me so much of my old friend Nick Chopper?" The farmer then countered. "The winkies saw enough qualities in him to be a leader. One of 'em keeps callin' him an _Emperor_, in fact!"

"Well, I'm sure he has the _heart_ of a good leader, but…well, in any case, are you just going to let those crows take your crops?" Dorothy then reminded, wagging a finger in emphasis towards the single perched crow.

The farmer blushed at this. "Well…I…kinda made a bargain with the King of the crows. I give him an ear of corn or two every week, his crows don't bother me."

"Why, that's terrible!" Dorothy huffed. "You shouldn't have to…to give up _any _of your crops just to keep crows away! Why don't you build another scarecrow and have that Doctor Pipt person do the same thing he did to your first one?"

"Oh, I'll do that." The farmer half-heartedly assured. "Once I get around to it. That deal is just for the time being. Making scarecrows is hard work, y' know."

"Well…you shouldn't be so lazy!" Dorothy then scolded, again wagging a finger in emphasis despite herself. Once again, it seemed as if the disguise itself was compelling this response. "You should get right to work on that new scarecrow!"

Fortunately, the farmer seemed to relent to this. "Okay, okay, I'll get started…"

"You do that! Right this instant!" Dorothy added. She then resumed walking down in the direction she remembered, but stopped and briefly turned to the farmer. "Have a good day, sir." She gave a polite curtsey and flashed a smile, and then turned back to continue walking down the yellow road.

It seemed entirely logical that Dorothy would stop at the very same place she had met the tin-plated woodcutter who was in need of a heart. The memories temporarily flooded back to her mind as she gazed upon the tree she and the Scarecrow saw the man called Nick Chopper frozen next to. At least, until they used Nick's nearby oilcan to fix his rusted joints to the point where he was able to join them on their journey to the Emerald City.

And then, the pudgy munchkin found herself back on the road leading through the forest in which she met the Cowardly Lion she had defeated in all of one brave slap once he had threatened Toto. She was fairly certain another lion…or a tiger…or a bear…would confront her here, but the forested region the yellow brick road led Dorothy through had no such creatures. She didn't even hear the chittering of the monkeys in this area either, and none were in the sky.

Dorothy was still understandably nervous as she made her way through the forest section of the road, and she was even more concerned about the hurdle she needed to deal with next before she would see the city on the horizon.

Sure enough, she saw the very same field of poppies that had put Dorothy, the Lion, and Toto to sleep. At least, until Glinda had heard the pleas of the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow and conjured an enchanted snow to offset the spell the Wicked Witch of the West had placed upon them.

But the snow she had conjured had long since melted away, and a sign had been placed before the fields that blocked the yellow road…

**CAUTION!**

**Stay on the Road and  
><strong>**HOLD YOUR BREATH!**

**DO NOT ENTER  
><strong>**THE POPPY FIELDS!**

**By order of the Scarecrow,  
><strong>**King of Oz**

Much to Dorothy's relief, she discovered that the growth of enchanted poppies on the yellow road had been removed. The fields at the sides of the road lingered, however, and as the sign had instructed, the munchkin girl took a deep breath and held it, her cute cheeks puffing out as she did so, as she moved as fast as her munchkin feet could carry her until she was safely past the stretch of road that was flanked by the poppies.

The Emerald City, much to Dorothy's relief, was closer now as she continued walking, and she was amazed that after having walked such a long distance, she didn't feel very much tired, unlike her first trip in her previous visit to Oz. She remembered Lo saying that the munchkins were a hard-working people, and in her current disguise, she logically benefitted from this gift of enhanced endurance.

As she came within sight of the front door, however, the entrance opened wide, and another familiar sight emerged from the open doorway.

Dorothy immediately recognized the horse-and-carriage, but not the carriage's three female munchkin occupants, all of whom were dressed in a manner similar to Dorothy. As the carriage approached, the horse's fur changed from its initial green color to a blue shade.

Indeed, this was the Horse of a Different Color, and the driver was no different from the green-suited man who had taken the lost Kansas girl and her three friends to the Royal Palace.

Dorothy figured that he might be able to tell her exactly where to go for this Guild meeting, so she waited until he was close enough before speaking. "Good day, sir. I…wonder if you could tell me where I might go for the meeting of the Learning Guild?"

But before the driver could speak, one of the three munchkin women in the carriage…certainly the more noticeable one, who had fashionably wavy hair swept up to the top of her head and gathered into a knot…interrupted him. "_Ahem! _Whatever makes you think that we are having that meeting _here_, dear?"

Dorothy blinked in surprise. "But…that's…what I was told…"

"Oh, we _are_ trying to gather for meetings here in the city, but since there has been an incident which has demanded the attention of his majesty the Scarecrow, we needed to postpone such an opportunity." The gray-garbed munchkin woman reported. "I suspect you are new, but I fancy you will make a very adequate educator just from the looks of you. What is your name, dear?"

Despite herself, Dorothy couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought of being accepted into the Guild, as she had comprehended. She kept her composure, however. "I'm…uh…" She wondered how wise it would be to reveal who she really was, given the nature of her disguise. "…I'm Dorothy. Just…Dorothy."

The standing munchkin educator's eyes widened as she gasped audibly. "Such an honorific name! Why, you bear the identity of the great champion of the land! The brave young girl from Kansas!" This educator then offered a respectful curtsey. "I am Philomena H. Dee, the Headmistress of the Learning Guild." She then gestured to the two other munchkin girls, who both looked just as amazed as Philomena was. "These are my two Vice Headmistresses. The one with the blue jacket is Magna Cumlaude, and the other is her sister, Summa."

The two smiling munchkin ladies nodded as they were introduced. "Call me Maggie, dearie." Magna remarked. "Everyone else does."

Philomena then held a hand out to Dorothy. "Now…snap, snap! Come on up. We always welcome new educators. Particularly one with such an honored name!"

As much as Dorothy _really_ wanted to join them, that lingering part of her that made her Dorothy Gale was understandably hesitant. "But…I was hoping to…to go into the Emerald City for…"

"They're not letting any new visitors into the city, dear. As I said, there is a dire emergency and the King is not seeing anyone for the moment." Philomena explained, still holding out her hand. "You don't want to be late for your first meeting, do you? Don't you want to ride alongside the Guild's own Headmistress?"

"And the Vice Headmistresses?" Summa added.

Dorothy's eyes widened as the disguise began to assert itself once again. "Well! If you put it _that _way…!" She grabbed the munchkin hand, and Philomena pulled her right up and into a spot right next to the Headmistress herself. Smiling with pride, Dorothy settled into the carriage as they began their journey all the way back to Munchkinland.

In that moment, it didn't bother her in the least that she had spent the entire morning on the yellow brick road coming _from _there.

* * *

><p>Truly, if ever there was a time the Scarecrow's perfect brains…bestowed upon him through the "degree" document provided to the stuffed monarch by the Wizard of Oz...were needed, it was now. Not only was there this lingering problem with Cayke's missing dishpan, there was also the far more serious matter the Mayor of Munchkinland had recently reported, with a distraught young munchkin boy…and a most unique feline creature primarily made of glass…serving as witnesses to the unfortunate accident.<p>

The head maid, Jellia Jamb, was also on hand to hear the situation in an advisory capacity, as the Scarecrow liked to bounce his ideas off a human mind he could trust before formally announcing any royal edicts.

"Our first logical order of business is to figure out what we can do to undo the effects of this 'Liquid of Petrifaction'!" The Scarecrow proclaimed. He then turned his head to the munchkin boy. "Now you say this happened at the home of Doctor Pipt. We should have that place searched for any documentation that might tell us how to…"

"Our munchkin regiments have already gone through that place quite thoroughly, your majesty." The Mayor interjected. "No such documentation exists."

"Hmmm…it doesn't seem terribly wise to have such a dangerous potion, and not have the means to undo its effects!" The Scarecrow observed.

"Agreed, your majesty…" The Mayor replied. "…however, it would seem that the Doctor was far more reliant on keeping such knowledge in his head, rather than on paper."

"But that doesn't do anyone any good if Doctor Pipt _himself_ is petrified!" Jellia remarked.

"And we're doubly complicated over the fact that Glinda, of all people, is among the afflicted." The Scarecrow added. "If we can't find someone powerful enough in magic to help us figure out how to undo this petrification effect…"

"Has anyone thought to ask _me _to figure out a solution?" A husky female voice purred.

All eyes turned to the glass-wrought feline, sitting on the ground next to where Ojo was standing, her tail slowly waving to and fro. The glass cat was staring curiously up at the Scarecrow King.

"Well! By all means, Miss Cat." The Scarecrow gestured to her. "Share your thoughts with us. Two minds are better than one, after all!"

But the glass cat tilted her head curiously. "'Miss Cat'? What an odd name for one so exquisitely designed. I should want a far more appropriate name more suited to my obvious magnificence…anyway, let's see…"

As the vain feline sat in her place, the cube arrangement within her head began visibly shifting around, cubes sliding over cubes, the entire arrangement morphing about in its place silently in the quiet moment that followed.

When it seemed that the moment was lasting a bit _too _long, Jellia broke the silence. "Um…any…possible hypothesis brewing?"

The glass cat's head turned to Jellia. "Ah HAH! You WERE watching, weren't you? I _feel_ all these eyes on me. Staring at me in _fascination!_ Don't you all LOVE these pink brains of mine? You can see it work!"

"But…what good is _seeing _brains work when we need to hear the _results _of its work?" The Scarecrow asked, noting the irritated reactions of all save the munchkin boy, who was still lost in his regrets.

"Hmph! Don't you wish _you _could have everyone see _your _so-called 'perfect' brains work, your majesty?" The glass cat huffed. "Honestly…why just come right out with a single thought when I could blossom it into an entire _solution? _I mean…just surmising that searching Glinda's palace in the northern country for documentation on an antidote would be so _boring_…"

"Of _course!_" The Scarecrow's eyes lit up, smacking his stuffed gloves together for emphasis. "And with Glinda being the most powerful sorceress in the land, she _has _to have something somewhere in her palace which can help us!" He then turned to Jellia. "We'll need to have Captain Rigorick summoned at once!"

"Uh…your majesty, if I may…he still hasn't returned from his search for the missing dishpan." Jellia responded.

"Hmmm…I wonder if Glinda has a set of maids of her own at her Palace, like we do?" The Scarecrow surmised aloud. "It would be far more advantageous of us to call on someone who knows their way around that Palace."

"Well…we _do _have gillikins among our maid staff, your highness." Jellia noted. "I'm not sure if they have ever been inside Glinda's palace, though."

"But your maids have experience _working_ in a palace, don't they?" The glass cat haughtily observed.

"Perfect! Let's have them sent to Glinda's palace, then! They have _very _important work to do!" The Scarecrow then commanded, content in having drawn up a possible solution. Jellia gave a curtsey of respect and headed away to begin collecting the gillikin maids.

"You should also know, your majesty, that while we were able to find and isolate the bodies of Doctor Pipt and his wife, Glinda's petrified body has not yet been found." The Mayor then reported. "Perhaps we should send the boy's cat out to find her? Seeing as how her intellect is so…fascinating?"

The glass cat turned her head to the mayor approvingly. "I appreciate that, but I don't need to be reminded of something I already know."

"She's _not _my cat." Ojo mumbled, his head still lowered in regret. "Doctor Pipt said the cat was for his wife."

"Well, if you had more of an interest in watching my pink brains work, I might _want _to be your cat." The glass-wrought feline huffed in disappointment.

The Scarecrow wagged a stuffed finger to the cat. "Now, now…be nice. Your thought processes may be unique, but there's no need to be so hard on young Ojo here."

"Why not?" The cat then remarked. "It was _his _little 'accident' that caused this mess…"

"Please! That's enough!" The Scarecrow chided. He then turned to Ojo, who now seemed to be on the verge of tears. He then gently placed a stuffed arm around his shoulders in consolation. "Just relax now, Ojo. Don't cry."

"But…if it wasn't for my curiosity…this w…wouldn't have…happened…" Ojo sniffled. "They'll _never _let me join the Lollipop Guild now!"

"Oh, nonsense!" The Scarecrow replied. "From what I've heard of you, you've _more _than enough talent to be among that proud heritage of munchkins! I bet even Dorothy Gale herself would agree!"

The hand of the Munchkinland Mayor then fell, consolingly, upon Ojo's left shoulder. "That you came to me so quickly to inform me of what had happened also speaks well of you, young man. You have been most honest to me."

Ojo then raised his head up, wiping away his tears and taking a deep breath. "Thanks…both of you…but the cat is right. This _is _my mess, and I wanna help in fixing everything."

The Scarecrow smiled. "As you wish…but I think if you're gonna do that, you should go with Jellia's maids to the northern Palace and help them in their search throughout the Palace."

"And, if I may, I believe the impressive intellect of the feline here would be most advantageous in that search, your majesty." The Mayor offered, gesturing to the cat.

"Another excellent suggestion!" The Scarecrow noted.

"Oh, now _wait _a minute." The cat warily remarked. "Don't _I _get a say in this? Didn't you just say two brains are better than one, your majesty? Don't you want to see my pink brains work some more? Wouldn't you want me to be _your _cat?"

"I think I can manage with my own brain, my feline friend." The stuffed monarch assured. "Unless you still want to stay here, and devote your wisdom to driving away some of the _mice _that have been bothering some of the businesses in the city as of late…"

The glass cat immediately turned to the munchkin boy. "Ready to go when you are, Ojo."

* * *

><p>Millicent cordially opened the door to the two-floor gillikin residence, and stepped to the side with a pleasant smile on her face as eight tough-looking munchkin soldiers rushed through the open doorway. The gillikin woman quietly shut the door once they were on their way to the door leading to the home's cellar, and she then rushed over to follow behind them.<p>

One of the munchkin soldiers then stopped, as did the rest of them, when they saw a table full of fresh food in the home's dining space. All eight of them looked fairly transfixed by the delicious-smelling bounty in the center of a pattern of empty plates, each with a seat in front of its table space.

Millicent, however, attracted their attention. "Uh, soldiers…your General is downstairs." She then opened the door to the home's cellar, and although it was difficult for them to keep from staring at the untouched food, they began to surge downstairs to reunite with their General.

The munchkin soldiers then turned, with their weapons drawn, to Millicent upon seeing their General in her bound state. "What have you DONE with our…"

"Lieutenant! Relax! All of you. Lower your weapons." Jinjur quickly remarked as the eight well-built munchkin men turned back to their General. "This gillikin is a friend. Her name is Millicent. She and her son rescued me from a farmhouse. The only reason I look like this is because these are magic ropes, and we don't know how to get the darn things off me."

"And you need us to find someone who can get them off you, right, boss?" The gruff Lieutenant asked, lifting a fist in emphasis.

"Yes…and no." Jinjur replied, a response that earned her puzzled expressions from her loyal subordinates. "Yes, I would be very appreciative if you found someone who could get me out of these ropes. But no, that's not all I want you to do." The munchkin General then indicated Millicent with a nod of her head as she spoke. "This…concerned citizen here thinks we can build an army of our own. An army we can train. An army we could use to make a _fool _out of that so-called 'Master General Commander'."

Although most of the soldiers nodded, three of them looked entirely hesitant…and one of them was the Lieutenant. "General…you know I feel the same way you do about old man Belay, but…I don't think mutiny is very wise. I think even the King himself would…"

"The _King _is just as daft as Belay!" Jinjur shot back, remembering her last encounter with the Scarecrow. "All talk and no action! We need to take action _ourselves!_"

Another of the three dissenters spoke out. "General…with all respect, you are talking about a King who was rewarded with a Thinkology degree by the Wizard of Oz, and helped the great champion of Oz to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West!"

"And where _is _this 'champion of Oz' now, Private Finch?" Jinjur countered. "Went right back to Kansas. How are we supposed to defend ourselves against future threats? Can you tell me, Private?" She then looked to the skeptical Lieutenant. "What about you, Lieutenant Spindle?"

Just as the dissenters opened their mouths again to argue with their superior officer, however, Millicent's voice interrupted them. "Wait! Please wait! All this arguing and bickering is not getting us anywhere. I think we would all feel a lot better with a bit of food and drink in our bellies. Then we can all at least have the energy to talk _sensibly_ about this."

The heads of Jinjur's soldiers turned to the gillikin woman as she spoke. "You mean…all that food we saw upstairs…is for _us?_"

Both Jinjur and Millicent nodded. "That's right, Lieutenant." Millicent confirmed, smiling.

After a moment of silence, Spindle's wary expression softened. "Now there's a right decent offer."

"I could go with food as decent as what I saw up there myself!" Finch added, his own expression disarmed. "Having to share Belay's appetites has been driving me mad!"

"Just as long as you all control your appetites." Jinjur warned. "Last time we accepted someone's offer of hospitality, you practically cleared out the poor quadling's cupboards."

Spindle snapped to attention, his boots clicking together audibly. "Soldier's discipline, boss!" He cried out.

The other men also went respectfully rigid, clicking their heels similarly. "HOO-AH!" They all yelled in unison.

Jinjur smiled. "That's the spirit, boys. Now carry me up and over to a seat at that table!"

Although it certainly took a bit of effort, two of the eight men were able to heft Jinjur up the stairs, and then over to sit on one end of the wide dinner table, where they saw an odd-looking boy with the features of a donkey filling each of the tall glasses at the dinner table with what looked to be a thick purple beverage that had the consistency of a milkshake.

When the glasses of all the soldiers had been filled, only the glasses of Millicent and Jinjur remained empty. The gillikin woman looked visibly embarrassed. "Oh, drat! I _knew _I wouldn't have enough for everyone!" She then looked to the boy. "Some lacasa for me and the General, dear."

The wheezing boy nodded in acknowledgement, and only Jinjur was able to notice that the boy looked strangely fearful when he regarded Millicent. She figured, however, that he still hadn't recovered from what must have been a harrowing experience as the prisoner of whomever owned the farmhouse she found him in.

The eight soldiers were quick to begin digging into their food, and they sampled the purple beverages they had been offered. All eight of them appeared to approve of these thick drinks as they continued to greedily consume the provided meals, engaging in wild banter as they did. Some reminiscing over hard times during the rule of the wicked witches, others talking about the recent search for the missing dishpan which none were able to find.

Jinjur looked a bit embarrassed as the boy filled the General's glass with the lacasa drink, and he remained alongside her to literally feed Jinjur as the tough munchkin girl began glancing at her own men with a sudden curiosity.

Because their hard, well-built appearances seemed to be softening as she watched.

Finch was heedless of the fact that there was now a noticeable bulge to his chest rather than his belly, and the facial hair of Lieutenant Spindle began to slowly and noticeably recede as he ate and drank. The short brown hair of the munchkin Sergeant Ketch began to grow longer as his own chest erupted in a bulge of flesh beneath his uniform. It also became apparent to Jinjur that their low, gruff voices were now much lighter and higher in tone.

When Jinjur's wide, surprised eyes looked to Millicent, she too began looking quite different. It was as if she was growing significantly older and wrinkled as the General watched this woman observe the transformations of Jinjur's men with a sense of wicked satisfaction…and when Millicent caught Jinjur staring in horror at her, the old woman flashed a wicked grin and began to giggle with glee despite herself.

"I can't…" Jinjur then heard the boy next to her say, his voice entirely distraught. "I…I just _can't_…"

After another involuntary donkey wheeze, he then raced over to the front door and ran right outside before the old woman at the other end of the table noticed him leave. When she did, she began to rise…

…but in the next moment, she settled back down to her seat. "Bah…I've no use for that wheezing burro of a boy any further anyway." She mused aloud, in a voice that did not sound like Millicent's at all.

None of the soldiers…who at this point had finished not only their food and drink, but also their respective transformations…seemed to notice the escape of the fleeing boy, nor did they notice that they looked entirely different.

That they now looked entirely…female.

Indeed, they all seemed to lapse into a kind of trance once they finished their food and drink. Jinjur just stared upon each of her changed soldiers in complete disbelief as the grinning old crone at the other end of the table rose from her seat, studying the General's reaction as she began to move slowly around the table towards Jinjur.

The General remained wide-eyed as her gaze now lingered upon the feminine munchkin that used to be Spindle. "L…Lieutenant…?"

Upon hearing Jinjur's voice, the female Spindle's head snapped towards Jinjur's shocked face. "Soldier's discipline!" The Lieutenant then called out.

Spindle and the seven other former men rose from their seats and snapped to attention. "HOO-AH!" They all called out in their now feminine voices.

By now, the old crone was behind Jinjur, her voice going from that of the wicked old woman to the less menacing-looking one the munchkin knew to be Millicent as the witch maneuvered close behind the General. "Such loyal soldiers…ready and willing to live and die at your command. I admire your sense of discipline, little munchkin." When the old crone was on the other side of Jinjur, she was the very same visage of Millicent who had lured the General into her trap.

Assuming her name was Millicent at all.

"Why did you _do _this to my men?" Jinjur growled as she glared upon her smiling hostess.

"Oh, come now, Jinjur. Have I not made the perfect set of trainers for you? Using the raw material of your own loyal little soldiers?" Millicent reasoned. "Can you not relate to them better now? They're still the same soldiers with the same skills, and all the physical capacities that go with them. I just…had them become no different from you and I, General."

"They're mindless _slaves!_" Jinjur shot back.

"Quite to the contrary. They're the same loyal soldiers they've always been, Jinjur." Millicent explained. "Minus all that…_man _stuff I know you never liked. Aside from what just happened to your men, nothing else has changed. I still think Oz needs a powerful army to defend it from future threats to the land, and I still think you are the perfect officer to lead them."

Jinjur's former men were all staring loyally upon her as Millicent talked. The General could hardly argue with the gillikin woman. Although Jinjur had always respected them for their loyalty, she did find some of their habits hard to tolerate. If Millicent was right, and they were just as effective as soldiers as females as they were when they were men…

"I refuse to do _anything _for you…" Jinjur began, her voice firm and direct. "…with these bonds on."

"And how do I know you won't find a moment to dash off to the Emerald City?" Millicent asked, her right eyebrow quirked. "How do I know you don't maintain some loyalty to the current ruler of the land?"

"Because that straw-stuffed _thing_…is the furthest from a _true _King." Jinjur firmly replied. "He's better off back in the fields where he belongs."

A wicked smile now formed on Millicent's face as Jinjur spoke. "How admirably poetic of you." She then raised a finger towards the bound munchkin, her voice going menacingly low and her expression going dead serious.

"Never forget who is buttering your bread, munchkin."

The outstretched index finger then moved in a half-circle, and Jinjur's bonds finally loosened completely. Both her arms and legs were now free. As much as a part of her wanted to lash out at Millicent over the humiliations and the deceptions the General had been forced to endure, Jinjur was oddly compelled over this gillikin woman's actions. She was behaving more like a benefactor than a criminal.

At least, for the moment.

Jinjur slipped off the stool she had been placed on and stepped towards Millicent, still frowning as she looked up at her. "Disguises are for cowards, witch. Stop hiding behind yours."

Millicent shrugged amusedly. "As you wish."

Waving a hand slowly over her face, Millicent's features went from that of the tall and innocent-looking woman to the older and more wrinkled crone Jinjur spotted as her men were changing. Slightly hunched in posture, the old witch flashed a yellowed grin.

"Now…" Mombi remarked, tilting her head to the side amusedly. "…let's build up a little more girl power, eh?"


	5. V: Teaching Miss Dorothy

Dorothy learned a great deal about how education among the munchkins worked during the ride back to Munchkinland. Apparently, unlike the world Dorothy Gale was born in, there were no conventional schools. Munchkinland education was tutor-based, with teachers visiting the various residences wherein there were children who were in need of the Learning Guild to make them productive and astute munchkins of the community.

The transformed Kansas girl also learned some of the etiquette and the protocol of the Guild. Philomena was always to be referred to as 'Headmistress Philomena', while the Vice Headmistresses informed that they were to be referred to by their titles only unless they were both in the room, in which case their first names needed to follow the title. The Headmistress also reminded that once Dorothy's name was in the ledger, she would henceforth become 'Miss Dorothy'. She would also be assigned a young child to begin teaching fundamental educational lessons to, and that child would become Dorothy's primary focus on her tutoring days, which would be five days a week in the morning, and half of the afternoon hours of a learning day.

Philomena also warned that Dorothy's potential as a teacher would be tested before she was to sign the ledger. Just _looking_ like a teacher was no clear indication that an initiate _was _any kind of teacher, after all!

"I would think that punctuality and attentiveness are of the utmost importance to anyone in the Learning Guild, Headmistress Philomena!" Dorothy once again raised a finger in emphasis. "Any mind in need of learning should be like a clean, healthy sponge!"

Philomena nodded, looking quite impressed. "Admirable sentiments, Dorothy. I sincerely hope you will be capable of passing our tests."

The Horse of a Different Color, whose hide was currently yellow, finally slowed to a halt within Munchkinland's town square. Dorothy's first instinct was to look up into the skies, and around the general area. Fortunately, there wasn't a single winged monkey anywhere in sight. The carriage had also slowed next to one of the larger residences, this one with a wooden post upon which a pair of parchment pages had been stuck to using some kind of adhesive applied to the four corners of each page. Once Dorothy disembarked, and helped both Philomena and the Vice Headmistresses to come off the carriage, the Kansas-born munchkin stepped over to get a closer look at the pages. Apparently, it was a list of tutor names, and next to those names were residence addresses, and next to the addresses were various subjects which were to be taught by those tutors. Math, reading, handwriting, history…

Dorothy then heard the sound of a woman clearing her throat in a manner meant to get the transformed Kansas girl's attention. Her gaze going from the pages to Philomena, she hurried over to pass through the open doors and enter the meeting locale for the Learning Guild she hoped to be accepted into.

She couldn't help but feel entirely anxious. Back in Kansas, Dorothy did have a couple of friends outside of the farmhands, but she had never really belonged to any meaningful social circles during her school days, mostly keeping to herself as she attended her classes during a school semester. Dorothy had been in the final month of a school summer recess when the tornado that first took her to Oz had roared through.

Dorothy saw that the main meeting room was a large, spacious area with a large blackboard on one wall. On the right wall were various notes, documents, signed and graded test papers(on a "Best of the Best!" section of the wall), various-quality crayon pictures(one of which was a familiar little girl, a tin man, a scarecrow, and a lion on a yellow road), and posters pitching the importance of various curriculums like math and reading. On the left wall were a series of large windows looking out onto the Munchkinland community, and on the rear wall were rows upon rows of books. In front of the blackboard was a podium, on the window corner of the room in front of the blackboard was a large desk with a single seat, and neatly arranged in rows upon the open wooden floor were identical-looking seats. Vice Headmistress Summa reminded Dorothy that new initiates always took front row seats, and Dorothy settled her round munchkin body into one of the chairs at front row center. Two other hopefuls…who introduced themselves as Charlaine and Ermengarde…flanked Dorothy at the front row.

A little over fifty or so other female munchkins…all of them dressed in a manner similar to Dorothy…filled the room before Philomena picked up a large, thin wooden stick and began loudly tapping upon the edge of the podium. As Dorothy, Charlaine and Ermengarde were already sitting, all of the other full members of the guild filled the empty seats in the room and settled in. Seated to Charlaine's right was Summa Cumlaude, and at Ermengarde's left was Maggie. The few other seats in that row remained empty.

Holding the wooden pointing stick at her waist, Philomena assumed a straight posture. "All current members of the guild please rise, and recite for me the guild's nine tenets."

The munchkins rose, their postures similar to the Headmistress, and began to speak in unison.

_I solemnly swear to be punctual and attentive at all times._

_I solemnly swear to be factual and cordial in my teaching duties._

_I solemnly swear to be kind and pleasant towards my chosen students._

_I solemnly swear to be firm and disciplinary towards students obnoxious and rude._

_I solemnly swear to be focused and thorough in the instruction of my chosen students._

_I solemnly swear to uphold the honor and dignity of this institution in both dress and manners within Munchkinland at all times._

_I solemnly swear to hold the people of Munchkinland, young and old, in the highest regard, above all other lands._

_I solemnly swear to maintain the honor and dignity of this institution, in both dress and manners, when visiting the other lands of Oz._

_I solemnly swear to show complete loyalty, and the utmost respect, to the resident ruler of the land of Oz._

The spoken tenets seemed to feed the disguise Dorothy maintained, as the munchkin initiate's lips moved, as best she could, soundlessly with each of the words of the tenets that she was hearing.

"Very good. Please be seated."

The standing munchkins behind Dorothy, the initiates, and the Vice Headmistresses settled back into their seats.

"We have three new initiates among us, ladies." Philomena continued. "Before we begin, we will be testing each of them in turn. Should they pass these tests, which as you all know are based against the fundamental education curriculum common to any and all tutors in our guild." She then leveled her gaze upon the three initiates. "Without these fundamentals, you have no chance of joining us as a tutor, and you will be expelled from our guild."

Dorothy and the initiates quietly nodded in understanding. Dorothy also felt a rumbling at her tummy, but she ignored it for the moment.

Philomena's gaze then fell upon Charlaine. "Rise, initiate, and approach the blackboard."

Charlaine, a petite-looking munchkin woman, nervously rose up after nodding in confirmation and stepped over to the blackboard. She then turned and faced Philomena, who calmly settled into the empty seat.

After clearing her throat, Philomena once again spoke unto Charlaine. "Three apples and two oranges are handed to you. How many items have you been given altogether?"

Initially nervous, Charlaine now looked a little more relaxed, as this was a question she could easily answer. "Five, Headmistress Philomena."

"Correct." Philomena smiled pleasantly, softly rolling her 'r's as she spoke the word. Her expression then went serious. "During the reign of the Wizard of Oz, his majesty the Scarecrow greatly desired brains, and the Cowardly Lion was in need of courage. What was the foremost desire of the former munchkin, Nicholas Chopper?"

Charlaine went pale. As much as Dorothy immediately wished to blurt out the answer, she figured the answer would come to Charlaine within moments, so she remained quiet as Charlaine gave her answer in a shaky voice.

"A…a better axe?"

Dorothy's eyes closed regretfully, and Philomena was already shaking her head. "I'm afraid not, dear. You have earned your first strike. Upon your third strike, you will be expelled." She emotionlessly remarked.

Philomena challenged Charlaine with division and multiplication questions next, and the nervous munchkin managed to get one of these two questions correct. The second one earned her a second strike.

Dorothy felt for Charlaine as the munchkin initiate earned her dreaded third strike with a surprisingly difficult calculus question. Philomena rose up slowly, a disappointed look on her face.

"We must bid you farewell at this point, my dear. You have earned your third strike, and must be expelled." The Headmistress gravely informed. "If you wish to re-apply in the future, this will of course be possible providing we still have openings for tutors. I advise that you study up on your fundamentals should you wish to return at the beginning of next month, when we will once again be looking for initiates."

Although Charlaine looked entirely disappointed in herself, she was at least on her way out with hopes for a second chance. "Thank you, Headmistress Philomena. Have a good day." Charlaine subsequently left the room.

Philomena rose from her seat…and then, the large munchkin's eyes fell upon Dorothy. "Rise, initiate, and approach the blackboard."

Dorothy of course complied, doubly nervous for the fact that not even _she _could answer that calculus question. Despite this, she attempted a confident posture as she turned to face Philomena, who settled into Dorothy's seat.

"Sixty-six cups of lacasa divided into three groups, dear." Philomena began, her eyes squarely upon Dorothy's face. "How many cups in each group?"

She took a moment to think, seeing as how she could certainly figure this out…

…but then, images began to show up on the inner side of the glasses Dorothy had been given. The very number she herself had come up with…22…was now visible, etched in with glowing golden lines unseen on the other side, on both specs. Dorothy tried not to look surprised as she went ahead with the answer. "Twenty-two, Headmistress Philomena."

Philomena nodded, looking very pleased. "Correct!" She announced. And then, once again, her expression went serious. "In the wake of Dorothy Gale's departure, the animals of the Quadling forest assigned a task to the Cowardly Lion so that he could prove himself worthy of being their king. What was the nature of this task?"

Dorothy immediately drew a blank, but tried not to let it show. She was also, in that moment, very surprised to see that the animals did not immediately accept the Lion as their ruler despite having earned his courage from the Wizard of Oz.

Once again, however, the glasses supplied…in faintly glowing letters etched in a bright gold color…the desired response.

_The defeat of a large spider._

There was no hiding her noticeably shocked reaction to this, and she swallowed audibly. Philomena, unfortunately, caught this. "Can you answer the question, dear?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, Headmistress Philomena…it's just, well, when I learned that the lion needed to defeat a large spider, I couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to rise to the challenge!"

Philomena smiled once again upon hearing the correct answer. "Excellent, dear!" She proclaimed, before once again going stone-serious. As much as Dorothy wanted to ask…right then and there…about the status of the lion's quest, it would be horrible form to do it while she was being tested. "Explain to me now, the purpose of a _participle_, dear."

Again, Dorothy was initially clueless…and again, the glasses provided her with the answer. "It's a verb which changes a noun, or a noun phrase, Headmistress Philomena." Again, her stomach complained, but Dorothy had to ignore it. "In a way, it's…like an adjective, or…or an adverb."

Philomena beamed once again. "Wonderful, initiate." And once again, Philomena's face went serious as the next question…a science-based inquiry about photosynthesis…was posed. Once again, Dorothy nailed the question thanks to Lo's provided glasses, and she slowly began seeing smiles on the faces of the other seated members of the guild. A question dealing with fractions followed, in which Dorothy was instructed to provide her answer using the blackboard. As per the enchanted glasses, which she never once touched for fear of being caught using a magic item, she earned a pass.

Never once, however, did anyone seem to suspect that she was cheating her way through this apparent run of the all-important 'fundamentals' test, and Dorothy was a bit surprised that she lasted through the test as long as she did without earning any suspicions. Or even any strikes.

Finally, Philomena announced that the next test inquiry would be her last. "Forgive me if this one is exceptionally difficult, but our fundamentals vary in difficulty with each correct answer, and since you have amassed no strikes, I must now place this last challenge before you, initiate…"

Dorothy nodded attentively, a slight smile on her face.

"…which I must now ask you to apply yourself to _without_ your glasses resting upon the bridge of your nose."

The smile melted, and Dorothy slowly removed the glasses without a single complaint. She could feel her first strike was about to be laid down.

It seemed fair for her to be penalized like that, however, given the circumstances.

Philomena then laid the final inquiry before the munchkin initiate. "The Pythagorean theorem was openly proclaimed by his majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz, thusly upon receiving his degree from the Wizard of Oz prior to his accidental departure. That the sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side. Did the Scarecrow recite the theorem correctly, dear?"

Dorothy's eyes widened. It _had _to be correct! It was the first academic proclamation the Scarecrow had recited once he held the degree, and Dorothy surely did NOT need her glasses to know that the Scarecrow was certainly the smartest of all three of her friends! "He most surely did, Headmistress Philomena!"

The wide eyes of the Headmistress became slits, although her smile remained. Dorothy also heard a couple of surprised gasps. "I'm afraid you have earned your first and only strike, dear."

Dorothy's eyes went wide, and her mouth hung open in outright surprise. He was _wrong?_

"I'm afraid his majesty the Scarecrow, for all his infallible wisdom, had instead announced the theorem for a _right _triangle, not an isosceles triangle." Philomena's smile remained upon her face as she explained. She then rose up from Dorothy's seat as the rest of the room broke out in loud applause.

"I did it…" Dorothy felt entirely overwhelmed with pride as the Headmistress stepped over to her. "…I…I really _did _it…"

Philomena then made a gesture for silence, and the applause and loud appraisals silenced within seconds. The Headmistress then turned back to Dorothy. "Indeed. Follow me to the desk, please. The ledger awaits you."

Shaking with anticipation, the Headmistress led her new munchkin tutor over to a large book, whereupon Philomena presented Dorothy with a pen. The Kansas munchkin dipped the pen into a nearby inkwell on the desk, and wrote out her first name on the line Philomena indicated within the ledger.

The Headmistress then guided Dorothy back over to the center of the room, standing behind her with her hands upon the relieved munchkin's shoulders. "Henceforth, you are now one of us, for the rest of your days." The taller Headmistress then had Dorothy face her, her hands still on her excited new member's shoulders. "Welcome to the Learning Guild, Miss Dorothy!"

Again, a collective cheer went up as the Headmistress embraced her newest munchkin tutor, who was practically in tears over the pronounciation. Dorothy…_Miss _Dorothy…could hardly believe that she actually passed the test on her first try.

And it never once occurred to her that this was the final blow to whatever remnants of the human Kansas girl, Dorothy _Gale_, that might have lingered in her conscious mind.

* * *

><p>With the more suspect things in his workshop stashed away in the hidden cellar of his workshop while the soldiers there fruitlessly searched the place for the missing dishpan, the scheming old cobbler had decided to slip away…prior to their arrival…to a meadow he frequently visited in the Gillikin Country.<p>

Although his mind was still on his grand scheme, the old shoemaker's few moments of contentedness could always be found in this particular meadow, which was secluded enough that he could sprinkle around scraps of food and watch the doves in this meadow benignly feed upon them in perfect solitude.

In moments like this, the old man lost himself in his thoughts. He reminisced to his younger days when he longed to be no different than the man who ruled over the city that was the shoemaker's birthplace.

A city he himself had wanted to rule.

_The city, located in the Winkie Country, was called Herku, and to this day, it is ruled by a winkie man named Vig. The city was an isolated community, protected by four walls separated by burnished copper gates. Even through the reign of the Wicked Witch of the West, Vig and his people had little to fear from any possible visits by the green-skinned tyrant ruler._

_Perhaps it was because of the unique discovery he had made, which was a compounded, edible substance made of pure energy called Zosozo. Before this discovery, Vig's concerns about any demands the West Witch made of his people were well-warranted, as Herku was nothing more than a simple community of winkies back before the walls went up._

_One of the winkies in the community, however, chose to consume a dollop of the zosozo, without any concern for the risks, and the people around him saw this man's weight begin to visibly diminish until he was skeletally thin._

_Yet, in the very next moment, this man proclaimed himself to feel ready for anything…and when Vig summoned for this man, who was called Salta, he proved this when this seemingly emaciated man effortlessly lifted a gigantic boulder that had blocked the entrance of a copper mine within the city._

_Salta didn't even break a sweat in doing it._

_News of this occurrence swept throughout the city, and now everyone wanted a piece of the zosozo substance. Vig, not wanting to see his leadership overthrown, chose a handful of winkies to take in a small dose of the energy compound on the promise that the visibly emaciated, yet physically augmented citizens devote themselves to the city's protection._

_A winged monkey spying on these occurrences from the skies flew back to the West Witch, who summoned for an army of large, savage humanoids…giants…to attack the community. Demonstrating their devotion to Vig, the zosozo-enhanced winkies met the onslaught of giants just outside of Herku and soundly defeated them all._

_Vig, however, did not want to be seen as a monster upon the call from his own zosozo-infused defenders that the large humanoids be slain. The ruler of Herku instead took the defeated giants as their slaves. _

_To this day, they remain the devoted servants of the Herku people under Vig, who himself surrendered to the allure of zosozo despite his initial hesitance. _

_Many of the winkies he ruled over, however, did not._

_And although he managed to secure a dollop of zosozo for himself, one of those who chose to remain human was an old shoemaker's assistant named Ugu, who correctly predicted that while the zosozo compound had effectively saved the community from the West Witch's effort to conquer it, the raw power they had been granted by zosozo would ultimately corrupt them._

_Unfazed by this prediction, the now-emaciated Vig ordered the enslaved giants to construct walls around the city, and the mine Salta__had reopened produced enough copper for the winkie craftsmen of Herku to construct the community's new gates. Businesses sprang up and prospered, and the community quickly became an isolated city._

_Ugu suspected that the West Witch's sudden disinterest in Herku might have been because of a secret collusion between her and Vig. The old cobbler's assistant had no way of proving this, however._

_One terrible day, however, it did not matter, as Vig's zosozo-infused protectors seized Ugu without warning and brought him before Herku's skeletally-thin ruler, who had apparently lost his patience for Ugu's apparent suspicions, claiming that "a reliable source" had forewarned Vig of the problems the old shoemaker's assistant could potentially cause to the "peace" he had established._

_Vig then banished Ugu from his city._

_Although Ugu himself would never openly admit it, and while his suspicions were eventually proven correct about Vig, it was all a means to an end up until his banishment. Since he was very young, Ugu aspired to be more than he was. He was even lucky enough to have his fortune told one day in the Emerald__City__by the great and powerful Wizard of Oz himself._

_"__You should have really great and powerful things of your own to look forward to in your future, my boy!" The Wizard had said, and while there was more to the fortune he had been told, it was those particular words that stuck with Ugu past not only his young, but his adolescent years as well._

_Perhaps that "reliable source"…who Ugu logically surmised to have green skin…had magically read Ugu's mind. Read that the old man's true aspiration was to somehow become the next ruler of Herku, and she had informed Vig of this._

_Now that the perpetually withdrawn and bitter Ugu was no longer welcome in his own birthplace, however, the old man became even __more__withdrawn and bitter. Relocating to the Gillikin Country, and using magical resources he had either secretly appropriated…or blackmailed outright…from magic-using customers not only in Herku as a cobbler's assistant, but in the cobbler's business he had set up in the Gillikin Country, he eventually crafted a most subtle instrument of revenge. One which he hoped to use in his desire to become as great and as powerful as the Wizard of Oz himself had predicted he would become._

_And it was this ruby-encrusted instrument of revenge he managed to convince a most important customer…the Wicked Witch of the East…to place upon her feet, promising her in so doing that it would make her even more powerful than her green-skinned sister._

_Were it not for the fatal intervention of a silly farmgirl's house, Ugu would have won himself a slave far more powerful than any of the giant servants of Herku._

As he quietly reminisced, a wrinkled hand went to a small bulge within a vest pocket, confirming that his box of zosozo was still there.

When he felt enough time had gone by and he surmised that those foolish soldiers had finished their search of his shop, the old shoemaker…Ugu…returned to a tree where he had hidden his means of transportation to the meadow, pulled this visibly unique item, and spoke unto it.

"Take me back to my shop." He quietly growled.

Ugu then placed it upon the ground. The diamond-lined object then grew large enough for the old man to step into it. The gold-wrought dishpan then silently lifted its withdrawn and bitter old passenger to the skies, and soared away from the secluded meadow.

He couldn't help but smile, however, seeing that some of the doves in the meadow were curiously flying alongside him.

* * *

><p>Ermengarde managed only two strikes during her test, and so she too was accepted as a full-fledged member of Munchkinland's Learning Guild. Dorothy applauded happily for the other new member as well.<p>

Their fellow guildmates provided seats for the new members, who were quick to settle into the seats as Philomena returned to the podium, and the room went silent once more.

"Miss Dorothy and Miss Ermengarde, you will both be informed of your assigned students once we have adjourned. I will also logically expect you both to commit the nine tenets of the guild to memory." The Headmistress advised, which earned her nods of confirmation from her two new munchkin members. Philomena then turned her attention back to the rest of the members. "Now…we are expecting a most unusual, but I am told very, very erudite guest at next week's Crafts Fair in the town square. The protégé of a Professor…Nowitall, I believe. It seems academic that this guest will find the presence of our guild most attractive, so I am making it most mandatory that each and every full-fledged member attend the fair."

"No excuses!" Dorothy called out, punctuating her statement with emphatic nods of her head. This earned her quiet murmurs and nods of agreement from her fellow guildmates.

Philomena then continued. "Our next order of business, before we break for a meal, is in the…"

A loud banging at the front door of the meeting locale interrupted the Headmistress, and her head curiously turned to the source of the noise. A second round of banging was then accompanied by the voice of an angry old woman. "Open this door, Philomena! I'll not wait one second longer! Open it! Open it, or I'll have you reported to the Mayor for _negligence!_"

Philomena seemed to recognize the voice as she heard it, and the Headmistress let out a long and exasperated sigh, drooping her shoulders and lowering her head. The faces of both Vice Headmistresses also looked very much annoyed, and the three voices spoke the name in unison. "_Prudence._"

"Should we shoo her away again?" Summa asked.

"Again?" Dorothy couldn't help but ask, frowning in confusion.

Maggie turned her head briefly to the Kansas-born munchkin. "This is the twelfth time Prudence has bothered us about her child. She has repeatedly _insisted _that her daughter receive a full education."

As Maggie spoke, Philomena's heels clicked upon the wooden floor as she headed for the front door. Dorothy visibly hushed the murmuring from the other guildmates and craned her head forward to listen in on whatever distant voices might be heard.

"You've been dodging my demands enough!" Prudence was heard growling, her own heavy footfalls now approaching the entrance to the meeting room.

"For the twelfth time, I must…now _wait _a minute, Prudence! Don't you dare walk past me!" Philomena's voice and feet were also heard coming closer to the meeting room door. "This is highly irregular!"

A curly gray-haired old munchkin with a very frumpy face barged into the room, startling Dorothy and the other munchkin guildmates. Walking in with loud footfalls, she turned to face Philomena as she angrily headed over to Prudence.

Despite Philomena remaining the tallest munchkin in the room, Prudence remained indignant. "Not one day longer, Philomena! My daughter _deserves _a good tutor, and I know you're taking in new members today!" Prudence raised a grubby finger in emphasis. "And I will _not _go through any of your silly formalities! I'm picking one out myself!"

The Vice Headmistresses rose up in unison, looking shocked at this. "How _dare _you!" They spoke in unison.

"Oh, sit down, you gossip-mongering strumpets!" Prudence growled. "Nearly everyone in Munchkinland knows you both routinely take advantage of your status in this Guild! Now let's see…" The frumpy old munchkin then scanned the many faces looking either annoyed, or intimidated, by her presence. All Philomena could do, for the moment, was place her fists on her hips in irritation and scowl at the snippy old woman.

"…YOU! Get up and follow me to the carriage!"

Dorothy gasped as the old woman's grubby finger fired out towards her. In the next moment, however, she felt compelled to rise and give her a piece of her mind. "Outrageous! You horrible woman!" She then raised a finger in emphasis of her next words. "The only person I will be teaching will be whomever the Headmistress _tells_ me to…"

"If I let you take Miss Dorothy, Prudence…" Philomena interjected, looking to the scowling old munchkin woman. "…will you _promise_ to never again interrupt one of our meetings?"

Prudence sighed heavily at this. "Fine, fine." She then raised her right hand, rolling her eyes as she spoke. "I solemnly swear that I will never again interrupt a meeting of the Learning Guild." She then fired an index finger of that hand towards Dorothy once again. "Now you follow me, Miss…Dorothy, was it? The Horse of a Different Color is waiting!"

With another unsure glance to Philomena, the Headmistress confirmed her consent, if only to be able to get rid of the rude old munchkin woman. "We'll arrange the ledger accordingly. Go on ahead, Miss Dorothy…and…good tutoring to y..."

Dorothy, however, had already been dragged out the door by Prudence, leaving Philomena to irritably sigh once again.

Outside the meeting area, Dorothy saw…by virtue of a large clock in the Munchkinland square…that it was nearing 5:00 pm. The munchkin tutor somehow felt a touch of anxiety set in. Shouldn't she be going someplace specific?

"Prudence…you do _not _need to keep dragging me!" Dorothy wrested her arm out of the angry munchkin woman's grip. "Now who am I looking for, and where will I find her?"

They stopped in front of the waiting carriage and the now red-colored horse. "That little upstart is at the Emerald City." Prudence irritably remarked. "She seems to think that just by being one of their maids, she'll get all the education she needs. I need _you _to be firm with her, Miss Dorothy! Don't let her selfish, silly little dreams get in the way of the education I need you to give her!"

Dorothy stepped aboard the carriage as Prudence spoke. "So she's a maid at the Royal Palace? I…I think…I need to go there anyway…"

"Settled in, are we?" The jovial, green-suited cabbie asked.

"Yes, yes." The munchkin tutor replied, ignoring yet another murmur of her belly. "Let's be off. I have important work to do!" Dorothy then turned her head to Prudence as the carriage began to move. "What's her name?"

Prudence followed for a bit to make sure the name was in earshot as she called it out. "Tula! Her name is Tula!"

Once the carriage was well out of sight, the indignant old woman slowly walked away…

…not noticing red glints on the ground behind her.

Glints that were only noticed, in that moment, by a winged simian perched nearby, high above the area.

The winged monkey hovered down to the ground, and indeed confirmed that they were the very same pair of ruby slippers they had been tasked to find.

The monkey's presence earned him a bit of notice, but an angry screech and a threatening posture kept the curious munchkins at bay while the simian grabbed the pair of slippers and soared into the sky.

Finally, the shoemaker's wish had been fulfilled.


	6. VI: A Brain, A Heart, A Home, Da Nerve

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I wanted to toss in this little reminder…for the sake of those who have ****_not_****read Mr. Baum's original Oz books…since this story has already introduced Mombi, the wicked witch of the northern Gillikin Country.**

**When Mombi was used as one of the two antagonists for the movie ****_Return to Oz_****, its screenplay adaptation of the second and third books of the famous forty combined Mombi…introduced in ****_The Marvelous Land of Oz_****…****with a vain, head-swapping character called the Princess Langwidere, who is the Regent of the land of Ev in book three, ****_Ozma of Oz_****.**

**Although I did include a reference to one of the characters of ****_Return to Oz _****in chapter 2(did you spot it? ;) ), this story's version of Mombi restores her characterization from book two: a nasty, solitary witch with a flair for transformation magic.**

**So don't expect any head-swapping stuff with Mombi in this story. :)**

* * *

><p>Ojo and the glass cat had just caught up with the carriage taking four maids from the Emerald City's royal palace to the northern country. The cabbie had stopped his currently green-colored horse when one of the maids noticed the munchkin boy hurrying after them. This maid, Tuppence, held a hand out for Ojo to grasp while the glass cat nimbly leaped in after him, surprising everyone in the carriage…save Ojo, of course…over how unusual this particular feline looked.<p>

As the carriage got back underway, the maids looked upon and touched the glass-wrought feline with a great sense of fascination. "Don't leave too many fingerprints, ladies." The cat advised.

Tuppence looked to the festively-dressed munchkin. "Is she yours?"

Ojo shook his head. "She was created by Doctor Pipt for his wife, Margolotte."

One of the other maids spoke out. "Those were the ones who were petrified with Glinda, right?"

Ojo nodded. "I just hope we can find something to help us un-petrify them at Glinda's palace. It was my curiosity that got them into that mess in the first place."

A more sympathetic munchkin maid spoke out next in response to this. "I heard it was just an accident. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Well…I'll feel better if we can find something that can help us." Ojo replied. "Assuming my being so _un_-lucky doesn't make a mess of our search."

Tuppence smiled. "You should get yourself a lucky charm, like I did."

Ojo tilted his head in curiosity. "Lucky charm? You've got a magic item with you?"

"Well…not really, but…my aunt tells me it brings good fortune." Tuppence then pulled what looked like a long necklace from a pocket of her maid outfit. She then hung what was attached to it…a glass circle the size of one's eye…in front of Ojo. "This is called a monocle. It's a family heirloom. Good things have happened to me since it was passed on to me, so I'm sure we'll find something useful in that palace.

"I hardly think you should call it any kind of 'charm'." The cat noted. "If it isn't magical, it's just something you _think _brings you luck."

Tuppence looked a little hurt over this admission. "Well…_I'd _like to think it's special." She sullenly placed the monocle back in the pocket of her uniform.

The fourth maid spoke out at this point. "Heads up, everyone. We've arrived."

The group disembarked and walked towards the large and lavish building that served as Glinda's palace in the Gillikin Country. As had been expected, the palace was an extravagantly-designed building rectangular in shape, and the towers on all four corners had the appearance of the bubbles Glinda used to travel around the land of Oz. The central building had a large, domed roof which came to a point, where it was tipped by a much smaller bubble shape.

"Something tells me we're going to be here for a fairly long while." The fourth maid noted as she stared upon the palace.

"Well, there's six of us, so I'm sure we can spread ourselves out pretty good." Ojo observed.

"Six?" The glass cat looked to Ojo curiously. "I only see five people here."

Those five people fixed a knowing stare upon the glass-wrought feline in answer to her curiosity.

"What?" The finely-sculpted cat tilted her head. "Did my pink brains stop working?"

* * *

><p>As the now brown-colored horse continued its journey along the yellow brick road towards the Emerald City, Dorothy began feeling a bit sluggish as she sat in the carriage. She placed a hand on her munchkin tummy as it began to murmur much more strongly now. It soon became a struggle for the newly-anointed Miss Dorothy to keep her eyes open.<p>

"D…driver…" Dorothy weakly called out. "…is…there someplace we can stop to…to eat something?"

The cabbie turned her head slightly towards his only passenger. "We're about to pass through the poppy fields area! You might want to hold your breath for a moment!"

Dorothy nodded, and the pink-colored horse instinctively sped up as the carriage's two occupants took a deep breath and held it. Once the poppy section of the road was behind them, both Dorothy and the cabbie released their breaths.

The cabbie then continued his response to the rotund Learning Guild tutor behind him. "I'm afraid there's nothing between here and the city, Miss Dorothy! We should be in front of the north gate in a few minutes!"

Dorothy slowly nodded, spending those few minutes trying to stay awake, and occasionally nursing the oppressive grumbling in her round munchkin belly.

The cabbie got a better look at the munchkin behind him…and saw that she had gone visibly pale, with evidence of grayness around her eyes. "My _goodness! _When's the last time you _ate, _little munchkin?"

"Mmmm…morn..morning…" Dorothy managed to whisper, her eyes crossed from the building hunger pains in her gut.

The cabbie's eyes widened, and his eyes went to his white-furred horse. "GIDDYAP! HURRY!"

Once again, the green horse picked up speed. In the next minute, the carriage was right at the front gate to the city, and the cabbie raced up to knock on the door.

Dorothy, however, could wait no longer. She had to get inside the city. NOW.

Carefully getting herself out of the carriage, she began to stagger over to the front door even as the cabbie waited for the gate guardian to show up.

He was too late to notice Dorothy opening the door. "Miss Dorothy! WAIT! You can't…!"

But Dorothy had hurried on through just as the gate guardian was emerging from his nearby home. Clearly seeing the door fully open, and then seeing the munchkin female staggering into the city, the guard's eyes widened in shock.

He then lifted a finger towards the slowly-moving munchkin. "WIIIITCH SPYYYYYYY!"

The munchkin's head turned to the guard with an equal expression of alarm. Seeing that _she _was being mistakenly identified as an enemy, she hastened her steps despite the clear handicap of her hunger.

Guards began racing after her as she fled further into the city, desperate to find a storefront serving anything remotely resembling food.

The gate guard kept calling out, however, in his alarm. "STOP THAT MUNCHKIN! SHE'S A WITCH SPY!"

Dorothy nearly stumbled once, but kept moving. She pushed herself as best she could as she moved deeper into the city, with somewhat clumsy guards coming ever closer to her.

Panting heavily, she stopped as her eyes fell upon the largest building in the Emerald City.

The Royal Palace.

Despite the painful fatigue in her legs, Dorothy moved toward the Palace as fast as she could, which by now was hardly any significant speed given her condition.

Just as she neared the steps to the front door, however, she was finally seized by three pairs of arms and held fast as she panted heavily. Whatever the guards behind her were saying seemed like a veritable mutter as her vision began to blur.

"Scarecrow…" she whispered. "…sss…scarecrow…"

She kept repeating the name, which the gate guard managed to catch as he and a fellow guard dragged her closer to the palace's front door. "Oh, you'll be standing before his majesty the Scarecrow, all right, witch spy! In _chains!_"

The doors to the Royal Palace opened as the guard spoke, and two figures stepped out. The blurs that closed in on Dorothy were of an odd-looking, but strangely familiar shape in a black outfit and a crown-like hat, and a shape right next to that one wearing green and white. They were hurrying down the steps towards her.

When the shape in the black outfit came up close, she saw the figure's face with better clarity.

It was the Scarecrow.

She craned her face closer to his. "Sssscare…ssscarecr….I…food…please…"

The Scarecrow blinked, frowning in curiosity. "A munchkin who hasn't _eaten? _Dear me! But…who _are _you?"

Dorothy began to pass out. "…hhhhhelp…mmeeeee…."

Her head then drooped forward as she lapsed into unconsciousness.

Jellia gasped as the now concerned gate guard lifted the little munchkin into his arms carefully.

The Scarecrow turned to Jellia. "Get some food and drink prepared! Quickly!" He then faced the guard holding the munchkin as Jellia raced back inside the palace. "Let's get her to a chair!"

Spotting a nearby row of seats outside the palace, the gate guard placed her there carefully as the Scarecrow looked the unconscious munchkin over carefully. He then checked her pockets, and then the sash she had inside her jacket, which the guard had removed.

"Why, this doesn't look like a witch spy at all!" The Scarecrow concluded. "What in the _world _made you think she was?"

"She just barged right through the door without waiting!" The guard argued. "Everyone needs to follow standard procedure, you know!"

The Scarecrow looked a bit surprised. "Even in the event of an _emergency?_"

"That's what the Wizard told me!" The guard replied, shrugging. "No exceptions!"

"Well, there's gonna be some _changes _to that policy!" The Scarecrow noted, looking back at the unconscious munchkin. "This must be one of the tutors of the Learning Guild. She's probably here for Tula."

A couple of minutes later, Jellia hurried back out with two plates of fresh, warm food. A second maid hurried out alongside her with a pitcher full of lacasa, and a glass full of the tangy beverage. Placing the plates on the empty seat next to Dorothy, Jellia began to feed her as carefully as she could.

Fortunately, Dorothy's mouth began to chew upon the food that had been placed there. "That's it…little more, now…" Another forkful of food went into the hungry munchkin's mouth. After Jellia had fed the munchkin tutor five forkfuls of food, Dorothy found the strength to open her eyes and begin feeding herself on what was left of the food, which she hungrily devoured. Dorothy then took the second plate and began digging in to the warm, delicious offerings upon it as well.

The second maid then offered the drink. "Here you go, dear. Freshly-prepared lacasa."

Although some of the beverage spilled down the corners of her mouth, Dorothy was able to drink every drop of the surprisingly delicious drink.

The Scarecrow monarch looked surprised at this. "Wow! You'd think she never had lacasa before!"

After uttering a minor belch, Dorothy settled back into the chair and let out a deep, relaxing breath. She then turned her head to the stuffed monarch, who she could now see as clearly as anything and everything else. "Thank you…" She then noticed the crown stitched to her closest friend's head. "…your highness."

The Scarecrow nodded, smiling, as Jellia and the second maid pulled the empty plates and the glass away and headed back to the palace. "Feeling better, then?"

The sated munchkin tutor slowly nodded, still smiling and staring upon him with half-lidded eyes. The Scarecrow king then noticed that the guards were still standing and waiting for further instructions.

"Oh…you can go on back. I imagine there are people waiting at the gate for you, after all." The Scarecrow remarked. The guards nodded once and stepped away, finally leaving the straw-stuffed king and the knobby-nosed munchkin tutor alone.

"Say…I was wondering…" The Scarecrow settled himself next to the recovering munchkin. "…did they ever replace me? I mean, on the post where Dorothy found me?"

Dorothy shook her head. "Not yet."

The Scarecrow slowly turned his stuffed head forward and lowered it thoughtfully. "A part of me wants to go back there, you know." He quietly confided. "I remember making a promise to the farmer who made me. I'd never leave his fields. It was my only regret when the Wizard told me to succeed him as the land's ruler before he left in that balloon." He then turned his head back to the relaxing munchkin next to him. "You're with the Learning Guild, aren't you?"

Dorothy slowly nodded.

"I have a _lot _of respect for that guild, you know, seeing as how they help feed the minds of young munchkins with lots of useful knowledge!" The Scarecrow remarked, smiling. "That's why I figured you could help me, because there's been something on my mind as of late, and it seems only fair that since I came from Munchkinland, it seems only logical that I share this with you!"

Dorothy sat up, keeping her eyes on the stuffed monarch. "I'd be honored to try and help, your highness! I mean…among our guild's tenets is that we show the utmost respect to you!"

"Oh, but I want to hear the opinion of the _munchkin_, not the Learning Guild member." The Scarecrow noted. "Just for once."

Dorothy blinked at this suggestion, but then nodded, smiling. "I'll try, your majesty."

The Scarecrow's stuffed hands then settled on the munchkin's shoulders as he turned to her. "Do you think I should go back? Be the scarecrow I used to be? Honor the promise I made to my creator? I mean, he _did _bring me to life!"

The knobby-nosed munchkin's eyebrows raised up in surprise. "But…what about the people of Oz, your majesty? Who would replace you as the land's ruler?"

"Well…you're a munchkin, and you've lived in Oz all your life." The Scarecrow reasoned. "I figured _you_ might give me some ideas."

Dorothy stared forward thoughtfully at this. She figured the enchanted glasses might show a name, but no such image manifested. The munchkin tutor was on her own in presenting her thoughts, and she opted for an honest answer when she turned her head back to the king of Oz.

"I…I honestly don't know, your highness." Dorothy replied. "Is there anyone you feel you can completely trust?"

"Well…since becoming king, I usually bounce my ideas off Jellia Jamb, the maid who served you all that food." The Scarecrow replied. "I even asked her how she would feel if _she_ became the land's ruler. She told me that she would much rather keep doing the duties that she is content to do as the head maid of the royal palace!"

Dorothy nodded in understanding. "Some people are happier trying to help a ruler with good advice rather than being one, your majesty."

"And Jellia offers a _lot_ of good advice, too!" The Scarecrow confirmed. His head then turned forward again, thoughtfully. "There's only one other person I can think of…but…" His voice now sounded regretful. "…she went back home."

Dorothy placed a hand on the Scarecrow's shoulder in sympathy. "You're talking about that girl who came from the house that landed in Munchkinland, right?"

The stuffed monarch nodded his head. "I really miss her, too. So does Nick and the Lion. We miss Dorothy, we miss Toto…without her, I wouldn't have gotten my excellent brain. The lion wouldn't have become a member of the legion of courage, and Nick wouldn't have his heart."

A strange thought then occurred to the munchkin tutor, which she was a little hesitant to share. "Do you think you would…like that Dorothy girl more…if she were born a munchkin?"

The Scarecrow frowned in confusion upon hearing this, and he turned his head to her. "What an odd thought!" He then smiled thoughtfully. "I bet she'd look real cute, though!"

Dorothy smiled back, remembering her initial reaction to her appearance when she saw herself in Lo's mirror.

"Still…I don't know if I'd feel any differently about her than if she were stuffed, like me, or the very same lost young girl she was when I first met her and Toto." The Scarecrow then added. "Her very best qualities, after all, was that she represented all the qualities the three of us wanted from the Wizard. She had a kind heart, a strong brain, and she was very courageous. If she still had those qualities, it wouldn't matter _what _she was. After all…it's the person _inside _that matters, right?"

Dorothy nodded emphatically, more in the manner of the munchkin tutor she had become rather than the human girl she was supposed to be. "That's right! _Every_ young munchkin should be taught the value of a good heart, an even better brain, and raw courage!"

The Scarecrow nodded, smiling. "So…what brought you to the Emerald City in the first place? Are you here to see Tula?"

Dorothy slid off the seat upon hearing the name. "Why, yes! There's someone in Munchkinland demanding she be tutored. Headmistress Philomena sent me. Is she in the palace, your majesty?"

"She _should _be." The stuffed monarch rubbed at his burlap chin. "I don't think she was among the four maids we sent to Glinda's palace…" He then began walking towards the palace doors, motioning for the knobby-nosed munchkin to follow him. "…let's go inside and find out!"

Dorothy kept speaking as they neared the doors, lifting a finger in emphasis of her points. "She should have nothing to worry about, your highness. Tenets of our guild make it clear we are to be kind and pleasant to our students. Unless they are being rude, in which case I will be firm and disciplinary." The doors to the palace opened upon their approach, and the Scarecrow saw Jellia Jamb begin to approach him as he neared the open doorway.

The munchkin tutor, however, continued her assurances,. "Prudence told me to just go ahead and be firm, but I haven't _met _Tula yet, and that old munchkin was so rude herself, so maybe I can…" The munchkin and the Scarecrow stepped past the open doorway, and Dorothy slowed to a stop after taking a couple of steps, her hands slowly going to her head. "…I…I can…I can…"

The Scarecrow turned around, hearing the munchkin behind him begin to breathe out in short, open-mouthed puffs. He frowned in confusion, as did Jellia, when their eyes fell on Dorothy. "Hm? What's wrong?" The Scarecrow asked.

"I…I'm sorry…my head…" The munchkin's belly began to slowly recede in size, becoming less round as the stuffed monarch and the head maid curiously watched her. "…I…I feel so _strange _all of a sudden…"

The staggering munchkin then began to grow in size, although not by very much, as her dress began altering in its very appearance. Ripples of magic began to replace the details of her munchkin tutor's dress with that of a _very _familiar-looking blue gingham outfit(although the sash she wore to carry the ruby slippers with still remained in its position across her chest). Squinting her eyes shut, the munchkin began vigorously shaking her head as more people in the area began to stare at what was happening, and the head of single-braided, bright ginger hair had suddenly become a head of long brown hair split into two equally familiar pigtails!

Eyes began to widen now…particularly the Scarecrow's…as the knobby appearance of her nose became a much more human one, along with the rest of her now entirely-recognizable face. Amazed murmurs now rippled among the occupants of the royal palace, and cascaded outside of the palace as well, as it became shockingly apparent that the bespectacled munchkin tutor that had entered the royal palace had suddenly transformed into Dorothy Gale herself!

The mental aspects of Dorothy's disguise had naturally evaporated as well, leaving the now human Kansas girl with all the memories she had before being given the enchantment that was her disguise. Fortunately, her mind cleared enough to notice the glasses that fell from her slightly larger nose, which she caught in mid-air with a gentle grab.

Dorothy then looked up, noticing the once-busy area had gone completely silent. Which was logical, being as the eyes of each and every person were now on her.

And the one with the most visibly shocked face was naturally on the burlap face of the Scarecrow himself, although Jellia's expression was itself considerably amazed.

Naturally, when Dorothy's eyes met those of the stuffed monarch, a full smile replaced her previously confused expression.

"Hello, your highness." Dorothy began, her voice once again her own. "I…I heard you missed me."

But as the Scarecrow seemed frozen in his disbelief, Jellia then frowned skeptically, and stepped over to where Dorothy stood.

Dorothy smiled upon the approaching maid. "You must be Jellia. I'm Dorothy Gale, from Kansas."

"Shhhh…" Jellia replied. She then placed her hands upon both of the restored Kansas girl's cheeks, and began to rub them around. Jellia's hands then patted around the girl's hair, and then around her dress.

Jellia then stepped back slowly, her face once again an expression of amazement. "It _is _you!" She then looked around to the others. "She's back! She's _back!_"

A loud cheer went up all over the interiors of the royal palace…and outside of the palace, where a large crowd had gathered…as the Scarecrow king hurried over to wrap his stuffed arms around the happy Kansas girl, who was now shedding tears of joy over her reunion with the one traveling companion from her first visit to Oz that she missed most of all.

But the overjoyed ruler had to ask the obvious question as the astonished crowds from all over Oz surrounded them both as he released Dorothy from their hug. "How in the world did you get turned into a _munchkin, _though?"

"And how did you get back here?" Jellia added.

"I still had the ruby slippers with me!" Dorothy replied. "They took me back to the house that landed in Munchkinland last night…but I was attacked by those winged monkeys. An old munchkin woman named Lo let me in her home. She offered me tea and biscuits…really _good _tea and biscuits…but it wasn't until after I found out what the tea and the biscuits did to me that Lo told me she was a good witch, like Glinda. It was meant to be a disguise to fool the monkeys and it worked…" She now blushed in embarrassment. "…but I guess I kind of…started _forgetting_ myself."

"A good witch in _Munchkinland?_" The Scarecrow looked to Jellia. "Maybe _she_ can help us out with…you know…"

"Wouldn't hurt to ask, your highness." Jellia replied.

"Oh, but your majesty…I _really _need your help!" Dorothy's expression had gone serious, remembering the reason for this new visit. "It's about our home in Kansas!"

"We could use _your _help as well, Dorothy!" The stuffed monarch countered. "Something _terrible _has happened! An accident in Munchkinland! We're _defenseless _without Glinda!"

Dorothy frowned in her alarmed confusion. "Glinda? Wh…what happened to her?"

Jellia then explained about the accident that had petrified the good witch of the north, and that a group of maids had been sent alongside the munchkin boy who volunteered his help to find a way to undo the petrification. She also noted that the man who had created the liquid was one of the victims of his own creation, along with his own wife.

"Oh dear…" Dorothy lowered her head, her mind awash in this difficult conundrum. Obviously, Glinda being petrified was a far more serious matter than her own problem…but then, she only had one more day to get an answer from the Scarecrow, since most of her first day back in Oz was spent lost in a munchkin disguise. "…maybe we _should _ask for Lo's help. If she's a witch, maybe _she _knows a way to break the spell!"

"We'll have this witch see us first thing in the morning!" The Scarecrow proclaimed. He then looked around to the crowds. "Send word that the King of Oz requests the presence of Lo, the good witch of Munchkinland, by the rising of the next day's sun!"

Dorothy then let out a long and audible yawn, her eyelids fluttering as the crowds began to disperse. Many passing, smiling faces…munchkins, quadlings, gillikins, faces from all over Oz…personally welcomed the tired Kansas girl back to the land, and she smiled and thanked them as they came into and went out of the royal palace.

"Hmmm! You look awfully tired, Dorothy!" The Scarecrow observed, seeing the Kansas girl's half-lidded eyes. "I suppose you could do with some rest after everything that's happened to you. I'll have Jellia provide you with some of our finest rooms in the palace."

"Thanks. I…I'd like that, your majesty." Dorothy tiredly remarked. "Besides…I still have to explain to you the reason why I'm here."

"Of course." The Scarecrow replied, gesturing for her to follow him. "So Toto isn't with you this time?"

Dorothy shook her head. "He's back with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Kansas."

"I miss that little dog, too." The stuffed monarch remarked, as they followed Jellia down a hallway. "So do Nick and the Lion."

"Nick?"

"Nick Chopper! That's the name of the munchkin the Tin Woodman used to be!" the Scarecrow replied. "Before his own axe was jinxed by the Wicked Witch of the East, of course…"

The stuffed ruler of Oz explained the unpleasant tale Nick had told him about how he was in love with a munchkin girl named Nimmie Amee, who just happened to be enslaved to the East Witch. The enraged witch cast a spell upon Nick's axe, which turned upon Nick himself every time he went to chop down a tree. For every time the axe attacked Nick, a winkie craftsman named Ku-Klip replaced the damaged body part with a tin appendage. Eventually, Nick's entire body had been replaced, effectively making him the very same tin woodman Dorothy and the Scarecrow found rusted solid on the yellow brick road.

"Nick has been really busy helping the winkies recover from the tyranny the Wicked Witch of the West put them through." The Scarecrow continued. "Fixing damaged or destroyed homes, helping families re-adjust to their missing sons, fathers and husbands…"

"Sounds like the actions of a selfless man with a lot of heart, all right. Good ol' Nick." Dorothy observed, smiling, as they passed through a fourth hall. "What about the Lion? I heard he's on some kind of mission to…defeat something?"

"A large and horrible-looking _spider_." The stuffed monarch revealed. "And he has to defeat that big ol' insect all alone, too. No help! I hope he'll be all right!"

"Well, he _was _given that medal by the Wizard." Dorothy reminded. "That should give him all the confidence he needs to do the job."

"I know…I just don't want to see him getting hurt is all." The Scarecrow worriedly noted.

"Oh, come now…lions are just as tough as tigers and bears, aren't they?"

The Scarecrow chuckled at this, remembering their initial meeting with the Lion in their first journey to the Emerald City. "I suppose so!"

They walked down a fifth hall. And a sixth, and then a seventh. Dorothy grew more and more tired. "Are we _there _yet?" She exhaustedly asked.

"Three staircases, and we'll be there, Dorothy!" Jellia assured. "I'm certain you'll like your suite!"

"A suite…for a sweet." The Scarecrow merrily observed, to which he shared a giggle with the tired Kansas girl. "A sweet, brave girl who was once a munchkin, to boot! You really _did _look cute as a munchkin tutor, I must say!"

"Thanks, your highness." Dorothy managed a weary smile as they made their way up the three flights of stairs. "I'm starting to miss that look myself. It didn't feel so bad to be a munchkin!"

Although she was very tired, Dorothy's eyes widened nevertheless when she was shown the beautiful suite of rooms that were now hers to rest in. A bedroom, a sitting room, a bathroom, a fully-stocked kitchen…it was a practically a penthouse. One which more than one person could live in.

And on that thought, she figured an area like this was someplace she could conceivably share with her Aunt and Uncle.

Toto, too.

Once Jellia had given an amazed Dorothy a quick tour of the suite, she left the tired Kansas girl and the Scarecrow in the bedroom, informing the stuffed monarch that she would wait outside for him.

Dorothy then sat upon the side of the very comfortable-looking bed while the Scarecrow took a nearby easy chair. "All right, Dorothy…let's hear it. What kind of trouble are you and your folks in back home?"

Dorothy sighed lamentedly before speaking. "We're being kicked off the farm by some…oil company. Scarecrow…I mean, your majesty…we only have two days, including today." She lowered her head in her distress. "I didn't know where to go…what to do…"

"Hmmm!" The Scarecrow crossed his stuffed arms in front of him as he seemed to ponder this problem for a moment. His next proposal was one Dorothy did not expect at all in his response.

"Why don't you bring them here? To Oz?" The Scarecrow asked. "We could easily find a place for them to live! Maybe we can fix the farmhouse you came to Oz in? The one that fell on the Wicked Witch of the East?"

Again, Dorothy's eyes widened. She could not believe her ears! "Would you really let us all move to Oz? To stay?"

The Scarecrow shrugged, smiling. "I can't think of a better option than that!"

Dorothy slowly rose from her bed, an amazed expression on her face. "You…you really wouldn't mind?"

"Why not?" The Scarecrow replied. "I'd even let you be the new ruler of the land if you wanted to!"

Dorothy seemed to remember hearing this sentiment moments before, and it sounded a little too extravagant an offer for her. "Oh, Scarecrow…honestly, I think the people of Oz have a _much_ better leader in you compared to me. I mean…it's not like you need sleep, like I do, right? You're a scarecrow, after all, and a scarecrow with the most perfect brains in the land!"

"Oh, I don't know about _that_, Dorothy." The Scarecrow noted. "Remember when the Wizard gave me that diploma and I recited the Pythagorean theorem? The Learning Guild's Headmistress later told me I was…"

"Wrong?" Dorothy mused, somehow remembering being told this not too long ago. "You were talking about a _Right_ Triangle…right?"

"That's right! Mixing up an Isosceles Triangle with a Right Triangle…what an embarrassing mistake!" The Scarecrow lamented. "If I were human, I probably would have blushed a bright red over it."

Dorothy giggled over this, but then let out another tired yawn as she stretched out in her drowsiness.

"Uh oh…you'd better get some sleep, you tired little former munchkin." The Scarecrow mused. "Going to bed now should get you enough sleep to be able to join us in the throne room tomorrow morning for our meeting with Lo. All the nightgowns in that closet there should fit you. Just change into one and get yourself all tucked in for the night."

"I will." She then moved to the Scarecrow to give him a very tight hug. "Thank you, your majesty…for everything." Dorothy then pulled away, keeping him in her arms, as she looked into his eyes. "And don't worry. I'll help however I can with the petrification thing. I owe it to Glinda for everything she did for me the last time I was here."

The Scarecrow smiled in response, kissing Dorothy on her forehead. "Welcome home, Dorothy Gale." He then noted. "Consider this suite your permanent home from now on."

This earned him another tight hug from the relieved Kansas girl, after which he left her alone in the room as Dorothy picked out a comfortable, emerald-colored nightgown.

Although now she was assured that relocating to Oz was the best possible solution to her family's woes, there was the matter of how her Aunt and Uncle would react to being in a place like Oz. It didn't seem like they believed her when she initially told them where she had been following the tornado hit, and she could hardly explain how she could have a farmhouse still in Oz, and a damaged farmhouse in Kansas as well.

And how would they be relocated from Kansas, as well? Particularly with Glinda petrified? This became Dorothy's newest resolve. Glinda was, to Dorothy, the only one with the kind of power to make this happen.

Her thoughts then went to the ruby slippers, which she knew she had hidden away in the sash Lo provided her with, and that's when she realized that the sash felt lighter than it should be.

It was when she removed the sash that her eyes widened once again in shock. The ruby slippers were _gone!_

She surmised, as she changed into the emerald-colored nightgown, that they had fallen out of the sash at some point during her time spent in Munchkinland. Dorothy sighed with regret. She figured those shoes would be able to send her back home if, for whatever reason, the Scarecrow said no to her offer.

But, for the moment, it now did not matter. Oz was now to be her permanent home. As it was a home she wanted to share with her Aunt, her Uncle, and Toto, it made her all the more determined to help the people of Oz break the magic that had petrified Glinda.

The Kansas girl tried to figure out how she could help, but her eyes didn't stay open long enough for her to think on it for very long as she buried herself in the comfy sheets of the bed.

Moments later, Dorothy Gale was fast asleep.

* * *

><p>The farmhouse back in Kansas was entirely quiet. Emily and Henry spent most of the day looking for Dorothy Gale once Emily discovered that the troubled young girl was gone. They were hesitant to put in an inquiry to the sheriff, however, given the permission he had given to have Toto apprehended thanks to that miserable old woman, Almira Gulch.<p>

All throughout the search, Toto remained in Dorothy's room, howling lamentedly out the window. As if he were resigned to the fact that his beloved owner would never return.

That evening, Emily and Henry finally set down in the remnants of their kitchen to share their thoughts on Dorothy's disappearance.

Emily was the first to break the silence. "Do y' think she might have run off t' try an' find the farmhands we had t' let go?"

"Em…when we were out there searchin', I was lookin' for footprints on th' ground. They tend t' show up real easy on that dirt road." Henry explained. "There wasn't a single track out there, oth'r than our own. 'Sides…don't y' think if she did somethin' like that, she'd take Toto along?"

"Maybe that Miss Dawson lady can help us." Emily surmised aloud.

"She's awful late, though." Henry noted. "Said she'd come back in the mornin'. It's way past that time now, Em."

"I wonder what could've happen'd t' her? Miss Dawson, that is?"

"Well…it's poss'ble that she could've gott'n anoth'r payin' client, but she told me she'd telegram me if that happen'd." Henry replied. "Rememb'r…she's doin' this as a favor t' me. No charge."

Emily nodded, sighing. Another far darker thought then occurred to her, and she shared it with a most grave expression. "You don't think that crazy, so-called Profess'r could've had somethin' t' do with Dorothy bein' gone, do you?"

"Profess'r? Oh, y' mean that ol' _Marvel _feller." Henry shook his head. "B'lieve me, Em…he may be a slippery ol' con artist, but I told ya before. He's _harmless_. In fact, he told me aft'r we saw Dor'thy come out o' her unconsciousness that she went t' see 'im 'fore that twist'r hit. Wanted to go with 'im to all those far out places he _says _he's been to. Know what he did? Told Dor'thy you were in bad health, an' she turn'd right back to th' farm."

Emily lowered her head in a combination of shame and lament, tears welling up in her eyes. "If we'd have waited a lil' longer for her t' come back 'fore we shut that storm cellar door…"

Henry walked over to his wife, placing a consoling hand upon her shoulder as she wiped her tears. "Now, now, Em…what's done was done. Not like we can go changin' that now."

Emily nodded, sniffling as she regained her composure. "Whatev'r happen'd t' him? Marvel, that is."

"Seems he pulled stakes an' push'd on t' some oth'r place." Henry responded. "Yest'rday, I went right on ov'r t' where I saw his wagon last when we were out lookin' for Dor'thy. He wasn't there, and neith'r was his wagon. I did see th' tracks its wheels made, though, 'long with the hoofprints his horse left."

Emily's expression went serious at that point. "Seems _we're _gonna be pullin' stakes too, aren't we, Henry? Inside o' two days? _Includin' _today?"

Henry lowered his head, sighing gravely, when she saw Emily produce the telegram he just didn't want to show her, nor tell her about. The one Uriah Gulch had sent.

"Honestly, Em…" Henry kept his head down, his voice going weak. "…I…I wanted t' see if…we could squeeze any more crops outta here. It's hard t' let go o' somethin' we've had our whole lives…"

"Henry…although I don't much appreciate you tryin' t' keep this from me, but I don't think there's anythin' more we can get out o' this place." Emily placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Maybe we _should _let it go."

Henry raised his head up, and wiped a tear of his own off of his aged face. "Not without Dor'thy, Em. I'm not budgin' one inch 'til that girl is found."

Emily lowered to a knee, looking tenderly into Henry's eyes as she rubbed a hand at her husband's cheek. "That makes two of us, sweetheart."

Their lips locked in the very next moment. They discussed other options in trying to find Dorothy before they retired to their beds. They already found Toto in there with them, curled up and fast asleep.

It was when they were all dressed up and ready to start the next phase of their attempts to find out what happened to Dorothy, stepping outside to breathe in the Kansas morning air, when Emily and Henry saw a horse and carriage approach the farm. The carriage's appearance seemed to indicate that someone wealthy was inside. It was a black-painted mudwagon coach, drawn by a single horse.

Henry had a feeling he knew who this might be before it stopped in front of him and Emily…and although he could see the hawk-like nose of its other occupant, it was the Sheriff who emerged from the coach.

The old, but healthy-looking man nodded cordially to them both as he approached them. "Mornin', Emily…Henry…"

Henry frowned. "I won't let you have 'im, Sheriff."

The Sheriff also frowned, but more out of confusion than raw defiance. "Have…who?"

Even Emily turned her head to her husband in curiosity, but Henry wanted to make it clear. "We're not givin' you Toto."

The Sheriff's eyebrow arched up. "Toto?" He then realized what Henry meant. "Ohhhh, you must mean that ol' matter with Almira Gulch! Didn't y' know? That matt'r was dropped!"

Both Henry and Emily shared an expression of surprise. Finally, some good news despite their current situation! "It was…dropped?" Emily asked.

The Sheriff then stepped in closer to the two farmers, moving them closer to the farmhouse until he was sure the passenger in the mudwagon coach was out of earshot. He nevertheless kept his voice low as he spoke. "'Fraid Almira was among all those who went missin' when that tornado blew through, but that bicycle she uses t' get around was found in a right mangled-up condition jus' yest'rday. Word is, she was sucked right up by that twist'r."

Emily also kept her voice low as she defiantly spoke. "Well, I hope y' don't mind my sayin' so, Sheriff…but it serves that wicked ol' shrew right! She got what was comin' t' her! I'm _glad _she's gone!"

"Well…that's not why I'm here, Em." The Sheriff then noted. "Uriah ov'r there tells me he wants me t' come down t'morrow an' run you off your farm so's that comp'ny o' his can get some big ol' oil rigs goin'."

"Sheriff…y' know me. I'm not one t' cause much trouble." Henry remarked. "But I think y' should know that Dor'thy Gale…our lil' girl…has gone missin' as well, an' we'd appreciate it much if you could help us find 'er? _Then_ we could talk about relocatin'."

"Hmmm, your girl's gone, too?" The Sheriff wrote the name down on a pad he kept with him. "Dor'thy…Gale. I didn't see that name on no list connec…"

"Oh, no…this doesn't have anythin' t' do with that twist'r at all, Sheriff." Emily interjected. "We think she might have run off."

The Sheriff nodded at this. "I s'pose we can look into it…" he then looked back to the mudwagon coach thoughtfully, a notion on his mind. He then turned back to Henry and Emily. "…tell y' what. You both stay here. I'm gonna have a lil' word with ol' Uriah."

Henry and Emily watched the Sheriff head back over to the coach, stepping into its dark interior.

In that moment, they both wondered if things would get better…or worse…when the Sheriff was done speaking with the very same man who wanted the Gales gone.

Whose side would the lawman take, ultimately?


	7. VII: Hide and Seek

"You…couldn't…find her?" The Scarecrow looked entirely puzzled, as did Dorothy, who stood beside the throne seat he was sitting in, and Jellia Jamb on the opposite side. "Why in the world would she be unwilling to see me?"

The green-whiskered soldier…Private Omby Amby…shrugged as he gave his report with a somewhat embarrassed expression. "The other munchkins did know her, your majesty…but they told me that while she is uncommonly kind to those who visit her, she prefers solitude."

"But she shouldn't have anything to fear from me!" The Scarecrow remarked. "Why, I can't even scare away _crows_ very well, and that's what I was _made_ to do!" He then turned to the equally confused champion from Kansas standing beside her. "How was it that _you_ were able to see her, Dorothy?"

"Those winged monkeys came down to get me." Dorothy replied. "She opened her door and waved me in. I thought she was an artist at first, since she had this easel with a black board on it."

"Board? We saw no such board, Dorothy!" Omby noted. "We did see an easel, but there was nothing on it."

The Scarecrow sighed. "I suppose we'll have to wait, then, until Ojo and those four maids return from Glinda's palace."

A thought occurred to Dorothy as the Scarecrow spoke. "Maybe I can go back to Munchkinland and see if I could find her?"

After a moment's thought, the stuffed monarch shook his head. "I'd rather we wait. I sent Ojo and those maids yesterday to the palace. I would think, by now, they might have found something."

"Or they turned up nothing." Jellia Jamb warily noted. "Glinda might have stored away all of her magic materials and documentations under enchanted lock and key."

"If I may, your majesty…there's also the matter of finding Glinda herself." Omby Amby reminded. "Who would want to take her petrified form?"

"And why?" Jellia added.

"Indeed. Who would be so wicked as to kidnap the most powerful sorceress in the land?" The Scarecrow rubbed at his straw-stuffed head. "The only ones who could ever dare attempt such a wicked act…they're both gone." He glanced to Dorothy. "One crushed, the other melted."

Dorothy was also deep in thought as the Scarecrow spoke. "Wicked witches of the east…and the west…" She then turned to the stuffed monarch. "…have there ever been bad witches in the north or the south? Do you know if the east or the west witches had any sons or daughters?"

The Scarecrow was now much deeper in thought. "Hmmm…rumor has it that the west witch had a relative serving as a court jester in the land of Ev, but…that was never confirmed."

Jellia Jamb's expression, however, had darkened. She then shook her head, denying some unspoken possibility. "No…no, you silly Jellia. It couldn't be _her_…"

Three pairs of eyes…Dorothy's, the Scarecrow's, and those of Omby Amby…turned to the head maid, who blushed deeply when she noticed them staring curiously to her.

Jellia blinked, her troubled expression falling on the king of Oz. "Honestly. She wouldn't _dare_. She…keeps to…herself…" the maid's look then shifted to Dorothy.

Dorothy, however, frowned in disbelief. "You don't think _Lo _is responsible for this, do you?"

Jellia was quick to react in the negative. "Oh, no, no! That's not who I was thinking of at all. This is someone else." Jellia turned to the Scarecrow. "Someone who used to be a very serious problem in the Gillikin Country. Until Glinda came along, that is."

The Scarecrow nodded. "Acquaint me with her, Jellia."

"Her name is Mombi." Jellia replied. "As the wicked witches of the east and the west formed a coven based on their familial relations, Mombi wanted in on the coven as well since she was…or rather, _claimed_ to be…their cousin. When they refused her, she tried to earn their notice by oppressing us gillikins. When no one rose up to stop her, Glinda intervened. Made Mombi promise to never again cause anyone any trouble. After she had Mombi restore everyone she had transformed, that is."

"Hmmm…Mombi. This is obviously the first I'm hearing of this witch." The Scarecrow noted. "And you say she was transforming people?"

Jellia nodded. "That's her specialty. That's also what attracted Glinda's attention, since she _hates _transformation magic. Life in the Gillikin Country significantly improved when Glinda ended Mombi's thankfully short reign of terror."

"And with Glinda petrified, I would think she'd naturally try and make another attempt to become a problem." Dorothy surmised aloud.

"She may even _have _Glinda." Omby added. "If she's capable of transformation magic, your majesty, then Mombi had to have turned herself into a creature strong enough to carry the statue away…and I might add that Master General Commander Belay's report did have one odd detail which had yet to be explained."

"What kind of detail?" The young champion from Kansas asked.

"The tracks of a single simian creature, my dear Dorothy." Omby replied. "Quite possibly an ape. Captain Rigorick of the gillikin army surmised that it might have been one of the apes in the faraway forest of the leopard King, Gugu, but there's no evident logic to suspect that Gugu, nor any of his subjects, would go beyond the borders of that forest."

"Rumor has it that Glinda's associations with Gugu have been entirely cordial." Jellia added.

Dorothy turned to the Scarecrow king. "It's _got _to be Mombi, your majesty."

The Scarecrow nodded. "Even if it isn't, we could at least question her." He turned to Omby Amby. "Now I know you're only a Private, Omby, but this is the King's authority you'll be repeating to Captain Rigorick. I want this Mombi found and brought before me."

Omby snapped to full attention. "At once, your highness!" Performing a full about-face with full military precision, the loyal private of the Emerald City's green-clad armies then marched out of the royal palace's throne room.

"You know…if we're dealing with someone who can transform herself," Dorothy then noted. "she could make it very hard for them to find her." She then looked to Jellia. "Do you know of any gillikins who might have an idea as to where Mombi lives?"

Jellia shook her head. "I'm sure Captain Rigorick will be exploring that possibility, Dorothy. He's the most well-traveled of anyone in the gillikin regiments."

"But…if those soldiers are always wearing uniforms, Mombi would know they could be looking for her. She'll get suspicious. She may even use her magic on them." Dorothy then turned to the Scarecrow. "If we're gonna try and find someone who can change their shape, then maybe someone you know can slip in among them. Someone in disguise. Someone who might really want to _meet_ Mombi."

The Scarecrow arched a brow, a very wary expression on his burlap face. "You wouldn't be suggesting _yourself _for this, would you, Dorothy?"

"Do you realize just how _dangerous _that could be?" Jellia warily added.

"What if you find yourself looking around for longer than you really have time for?" The Scarecrow then reminded. "Or have you forgotten that problem back in Kansas?"

"I know, your highness…but I would think we'd need Glinda to bring my Aunt, my Uncle, and Toto to Oz, don't you think?" The Kansas girl then turned to Jellia. "With your help, being a gillikin, we could come up with a really _good_ disguise!"

Jellia thought on this. "Well…most gillikins wear purple dresses, mostly…and I suppose with a little change in hairstyle, and maybe a purple rose in your hair…"

"Dorothy...after all you and I have been through alongside Nick and the Lion, it doesn't really surprise me that you would suggest something like this…" The Scarecrow then rose up, stepping over to the anxious young girl. "…but if I let you do this, I couldn't go with you this time. You'd have to do this on your own, and I'd feel _terrible _if anything happened to you."

Dorothy smiled as she tenderly looked up to the concerned ruler of Oz. "I really appreciate your concern, your majesty…you have no idea how wonderful it is to see you again. That just makes it all the more important for me to be careful to begin with, so that I know that no matter what happens, I'll want to be able to come back to you with any information I can get about Mombi or Glinda. Like I said, I owe it to Glinda…and to you…to do whatever I can to help, since you were all nice enough to help me get back home."

The Scarecrow could hardly argue with this kind of wisdom, although there was one caveat he had to set down. "If I let you do this, Dorothy…you have to promise me to return here once you've learned anything and everything you can, particularly if you find Glinda. Don't try to take the statue yourself, and don't be too trusting of anyone who might be dangerous or deceptive."

Dorothy nodded. "I promise, your highness. Even if I have to come back real late, I'll be back."

"And you _know _you won't catch me sleeping. Not like I need any, after all." The Scarecrow smiled. "I'll leave word at the gate to let you right in, too. We can make those arrangements once you're in your disguise."

Jellia placed a hand on Dorothy's shoulder. "We'd better get started, dear. Follow me to the Wash and Brush Up Shop." Jellia then stopped her after a few paces, as a thought had occurred to her and she turned to the stuffed monarch. "How do we explain her not being here, your majesty? Word must have spread through most of Oz about her return by now."

The Scarecrow thought on this, for a long and hard moment, as did Dorothy, who eventually broke the silence. "Well…that's an awfully big suite of rooms you gave me, your majesty. After everything I had been through in Munchkinland, I'd need plenty of rest, wouldn't I?"

"Dorothy, I could swear your brains are the equal of my own." The Scarecrow mused aloud, smiling.

"And I'm certain you gave strict orders that she not be disturbed, too, your majesty." Jellia added. "For any reason."

"Perfect! Now you go on ahead, you brave little gillikin!" The Scarecrow winked to Dorothy as Jellia led her away.

The stuffed monarch then settled back into his chair. Once Dorothy was out of sight, he further regretted his status as the reigning monarch of Oz.

Because he really, _really _wanted to go with that brave Kansas girl, and share in her exploits once again. Compared to being stuck on a nail in the middle of a cornfield on a munchkin farm, the Scarecrow felt so much more _alive _when he was with Dorothy on her adventures. So alive, that he had wished he were flesh and blood, just like her.

Or that she were made of straw, just like him.

* * *

><p>They searched each of the four towers of the palace.<p>

They covered any and all areas that were easily accessible, relying on the skills of the four maids to clean in and around a palace, as they had done routinely in the Emerald City's royal palace.

They checked the spines of any and all books on the bookshelves they discovered. About the only thing Ojo had found which seemed peculiar was a note Glinda herself had likely written…

**Krizzle-Kroo?**

And through it all, a cat made entirely of glass mostly observed the progress of the munchkin boy and the four maids, sitting in various places…mostly near the boy…as her five other companions did most of the work. Ojo did ask the cat about the note he had found, but the vain feline's pink brains could not figure this statement out at all.

"A word like that is something I'd rather forget I even _heard_. Pheaugh!" the cat remarked, shaking her glass-wrought head in disgust.

After a great many hours, a delicious meal made by the four maids using the palace's kitchen, and an evening's sleep, the group found nothing…nothing at all…which could have helped them.

The glass cat's logic was irritably obvious, and she had repeated it more than once during their search. "Well, if _I _were the most powerful sorceress in the land, I wouldn't just casually leave potentially dangerous magic stuff behind unlocked doors, would I?"

Tuppence looked distraught as they gathered for the next morning's breakfast. "It just seems so unfair that all the really _useful _stuff would be in rooms we can't reach. You'd think we could at least be able to get into a hidden library or something."

The glass cat, idly sitting on a nearby countertop, sighed as her tail waved slowly to and fro behind her. "Well, if _I _were the most powerful sorceress in the…"

"Will you _please _stop saying that?" Ojo firmly chided.

The young munchkin maid sighed as she helped serve the plates of food the four maids had prepared. "Well…we've at least got this place all cleaned up. We might as well go back and tell the king we couldn't find anything."

Ojo sighed, hanging his head down. "I _told _you all I was bad luck."

"I guess that 'lucky charm' of yours wasn't much help either." The glass cat then mused aloud, a remark that logically earned her a dirty look from Tuppence.

But as they began to eat, they heard a loud knock at the front doors of the palace. The munchkin maid, who was about to settle into her seat, opted to approach the door instead to see who the visitor was.

When she opened the door, a familiar sight dressed in white clothes smiled upon seeing the young maid, who smiled right back as her eyes lit up once she recognized the visiting old munchkin woman.

"Tula!" The old woman sweetly exclaimed. "What a surprise to see _you _here!"

Tula immediately closed the space between them and gave the pleasantly giggling munchkin woman a tight, loving hug. "It's wonderful to see you too, Auntie Lo!"

Ojo barely caught the name as he was about to put a forkful of food into his mouth. "Auntie Lo?" he then looked to Tuppence. "What's she doing _here?_"

Tuppence shrugged cluelessly as the boy and the other maids rose from their seats and headed for the front door. The glass cat also followed, her four paws emitting cute 'tink' sounds upon the hard surfaces as she moved.

As they came into earshot of Lo and Tula, the munchkin maid asked the question the rest of the group sought to ask. "You don't get out much, Auntie Lo. What brought you out here?"

"Well…as it happens, Glinda is a friend of mine. Kindred spirits, you might say." Lo began. She then noticed Ojo, and lit up in recognition just as she did with Tula. "Ojo! My goodness, two popular fellow munchkins in one place…and all these maids! Are you all here to help Glinda with a bit of spring cleaning?"

"Actually, we were sent here by the king." Ojo replied. "We've got to find something…_anything_…to break a petrification effect."

"Oh, dear me!" Lo looked genuinely shocked. "But…can't Glinda herself help you with that? Where is she? Isn't she here?"

"I'm afraid she's among the three who were petrified, Lo." Tuppence reported. "We don't know where she is, either. The marble statue she was turned into was stolen."

"The others were Doctor Pipt and his wife." The fourth maid added.

"Oh, this is bad. Yes…this is _very _bad." Lo lowered her head, her expression now grave. "I guess there's no way she can help me figure out the recipe I was given."

Ojo frowned at this. "Recipe?"

Lo nodded. "I wanted to prepare a most important soup for guests I wanted to entertain at my home, but none of my regular recipes seemed very important enough to make. I mean…they're all very delicious, but I wanted something _important_." She then reached for something she had placed beside the door. It was a black slate the size of a human forearm, and upon the slate's surface were lines of text which looked to have been written upon it in bright white chalk.

The old munchkin presented this slate's writing to the group. "I haven't the faintest idea what kind of soup is made from ingredients like _these, _but I was sure Glinda would at least have _some_ of the things I don't already have myself."

They all looked over the ingredients written out on the slate…

**- One Six-Leaf Clover**

**- The Left Wing of a Yellow Butterfly**

**- A one-quarter pint of water from a dark well**

**- A drop of oil from a live man's body**

**- Three hairs from the tip of a Woozy's tail**

"A drop of oil from a man's body?" Tula found the notion a bit distasteful. "Yecch!"

Ojo held his gaze upon the slate, however, and was deep in thought. "I don't think this has anything to do with any soup, Lo. Which of these ingredients do you have?"

"Oh, I actually brought them both with me." She rummaged along the many pockets of her white dress, eventually pulling a small vial and a small item concealed in cloth wrapping. "This vial has the oil, and this…well, how I got this was a bit of a sad story, but this is the left wing of a winkie butterfly who got too close to the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West, and was fatally wounded by one of her angry guards. The butterfly made it as far as Munchkinland…and told me his whole story…before the poor creature went quiet, and stopped moving."

The faces of the group of maids went sullen over the butterfly's story, save for Ojo, who still had his eyes thoughtfully upon the slate. Lo noticed this. "Ojo? What is it, dear?"

"I don't think this is a soup at all, Auntie Lo." Ojo replied. "I think…this may be exactly what we need." He then turned to the maids. "We've gotta find the rest of these items."

The other maids nodded in agreement, but one item among the ingredients made Tuppence curious. "What's a Woozy?"

Tula's face went fearful as she turned her head to Tuppence. "It's…really scary."

Ojo nodded, also recognizing the name. "It lives in a cave near the community of the Hyups on the other side of Munchkinland. Chose to live there because of all the beehives nearby. There's hardly any bees left because…well, we think that nasty Woozy ate 'em all."

"He's supposed to have this horrible roar, too!" Tula leaned into Lo for comfort, and the sympathetic old woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "And I hear he can breathe fire!"

The other maids spoke in unison at this. "_Fire?_"

"Oh, do calm yourself, Tula dear. That only happened once. Someone said some silly old thing, and a blast of flame surged out of the cave." Lo explained. "Really…I think those silly munchkins just need to get to know the Woozy is all. I have a feeling he's just misunderstood."

"I'm not sure if it'll let us take the hairs we need from it, though." Ojo noted. "Can you remember what was said that caused the fire to come out?"

Lo shook her head. "I'm afraid that happened long before Dorothy came to Oz. I do know the Wizard was there to witness this, though. He got so curious about the Woozy that he had to see it for himself. The Woozy never came out of his cave, though. He may be more afraid of _us_ than we are of him."

"Only one way to find out for sure." Ojo remarked, with a tone of conviction. He then turned to the maids. "We're going to Munchkinland to get those Woozy hairs."

The nearby glass cat tilted her head. "Have fun being fried to a crisp! I'll just…"

Ojo then turned to the wise-cracking feline with a considerably stern look. "And so are you."

The glass cat sighed aloud. "I'll just need a moment for my beautiful pink brains to work out the perfect…_HEY!_ LET GO OF MY _TAIL,_ YOU CRAZY MUNCHKIN!"

* * *

><p>Her dark brown hair now hung loosely, and had been given a softly wavy appearance as it cascaded down from her head.<p>

Her eyes had been decorated with an attractive shade of purple eyeshadow, to go with the dress motif she was now wearing.

The head of a fragrant purple rose had been decoratively placed at her right ear.

A purple jacket with leg o' mutton sleeves covered a white blouse with a high collar and a long, matching purple skirt.

Purple-striped white stockings covered her legs, leading down to a pair of purple slippers.

Now, all Dorothy Gale needed to do was remember the identity she had opted to use.

Jellia had done a marvelous job making Dorothy look like a gillikin society girl. It was also a matter for Dorothy to remember the behavioral tips she had been coached on by the head maid of the Emerald City.

It was time to put the appearance to the ultimate test as she boarded the carriage waiting at the north gate. The Scarecrow had already made sure each of the guards at the four gates leading into the Emerald City knew what she looked like so they could immediately let her pass through once a two-part password was spoken.

The guard's part would be: _Are you here to see the Wizard?_

The required response: _The wonderful Wizard of Oz._

For the moment, however, Dorothy was on her own. It was now a matter of finding Mombi, and all she had to go on was a description given to her by Jellia.

Although there were areas on the outfit that were a bit tight, the gillikin dress she was wearing was quite comfy, and she was certainly capable of free movement as the cabbie sent his horse of a different color down along the road heading into the northern country. The cabbie had been given instructions to drive over and drop Dorothy off at a gillikin village not too far from the country's farms.

The tough part would now be in making inquiries. She had an approach in mind, but that was for when she actually _met _Mombi. The Scarecrow, Jellia, and Dorothy herself were all in agreement that asking around about a wicked witch in a peaceful gillikin village would be entirely risky.

As Dorothy stepped off the carriage, she was given various nods of respect by the other passing gillikins. Men, women and children either slowed their paces or stopped altogether to offer pleasant greetings and/or compliments on Dorothy's attractive and fashionable appearance.

She decided to step into an Inn within the village, as she did not want to be caught hungry during _this _particular masquerade. Besides…it was an excuse to linger, and possibly hear nearby gossip.

The Scarecrow had reminded Dorothy that the Wizard's old monetary system…which involved the use of green coins for transactions…had been abolished, so she could order whatever she wished without having to worry about payment.

The food looked and tasted delicious, although she kept her attention primed on whatever conversation she could listen in on. None of the casual conversation thus far, however, had anything at all to do with Mombi.

As she was halfway through her meal, two middle-aged gillikins settled into a table near enough to where she had been placed for Dorothy to be able to eavesdrop, and she began to listen in while keeping up the appearance of an idle, hungry patron.

The conversation was mostly about a dreadful run of crops following an expansion of farm territory. Even with the commonly optimal weather in Oz, it was particularly bad in terms of productivity.

The next few bits of conversation Dorothy overheard began to get interesting…

"You may be getting too close to that shockingly bad farm plot in setting up your expansion area. Don't you think you'll get that wicked old shrew who lives there all worked up?"

"Who, Millicent? She's all bark and no bite. Not sure why the animals get all jumpy when I bring them to that expansion. She's just a foul-tempered farmer. Real miserable, she is."

"Truly. Does she think her farm is gonna run itself? Any good farm needs plenty of attention. It always helps to have farmhands, too."

"Have you found any willing to work at your own farm, Trudy?"

"Not yet…although I did have to chase off a really weird-looking intruder trying to take a nap near my barn, though. That boy had wrapped himself in this big bedsheet, too, and he kept wheezing all the time. Almost sounded like a donkey's braying."

"A boy that brays like a donkey? Heh…one would think ol' Mombi was causing trouble again."

"Brrr…I'd rather not talk about that if you don't mind, Penny."

By now, Dorothy had finished eating, and she rose up and headed for the Inn's entrance doors. She at least had a few lucky leads now.

Her next logical stop, based on what she had learned, was the gillikin farmlands. On the excuse that she wanted to visit a relative, she got one of the gillikin soldiers to give her instructions as to where most of the farms in the country were located.

Fortunately, Dorothy didn't have to walk too far to begin seeing the farming territories.

The farms she saw were very well-organized, and looked prosperous. Fresh crops fully-grown at one, freshly-planted ones neatly arranged at another, farmers in the process of planting the crops at the next. These active farmers gave a cordial nod and a smile at Dorothy's passing.

The disguised champion of Oz couldn't help but wish that the Gale farm back in Kansas were as prosperous as some of these. In her anxiousness to bring her Aunt and Uncle to Oz, she figured they would start up a much more productive farming establishment in any one of the land's four territories. Perhaps even near Munchkinland, if they would let them.

Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by a sight she had only heard about moments before.

A boy covered in a bedsheet.

He looked entirely paranoid as he gazed around him. Logically, the only area that was not covered by the bedsheet was his face…and when Dorothy managed to get a glimpse at it, she confirmed the unusual features the ladies she had overheard at the Inn were hinting at. His nose had darkened, and his front teeth were unusually prominent.

She then heard the boy's wheezing. It did indeed sound donkey-like.

Dorothy naturally felt a great deal of sympathy for this boy as she slowly approached him. When she was a few paces from the wheezing boy, his head whipped over to face her, gasping in surprise.

The disguised Kansas girl's hands quickly went up to assure she would be no trouble. "Don't worry." She quietly remarked. "I won't hurt you."

The boy hesitantly stepped towards the gillikin girl, who glanced around the immediate area…even looking up…to assure they weren't being watched. "I…I'm hungryyeeeeEEE…" He stopped himself in mid-bray.

Dorothy nodded. "Let's get you someplace where you should be safe."

She carefully retraced her steps, the boy occasionally wheezing in his peculiar condition, as the disguised Kansas girl led the frightened boy all the way back to the Inn she had left. A room had recently been vacated, so Dorothy was able to acquire lodgings for the boy.

But in so doing, she hoped to get more information. She surmised that the boy's unusual appearance were the result of an encounter with Mombi herself.

Dorothy maintained a careful stance, however, in identifying herself. It was entirely possible, after all, that he might secretly be in league with this wicked witch. "My name is Rosemary." Dorothy began. "Who are you?"

The quivering boy kept clutching at the bedsheet covering him. After an involuntary wheeze, he managed a response. "I…I don't know."

"It's OK. You don't have to tell me." Dorothy assured. "Can you tell me who did this to you? Why you look the way you do?"

His head lowered fearfully in the moment of silence that followed, but he finally managed to speak the name. "M…Mombi…" He then looked up to Dorothy. "…but…but I can't…I…I just _can't_…" Another involuntary wheeze followed.

"You can't…go back to her?" Dorothy guessed.

The boy shook his head vigorously.

Dorothy smiled, placing a hand to his face, where she felt tiny follicles of fur upon the skin of his cheek. "You don't have to. I sure won't take you back. You should stay here. Just for one night. Do you know where the Emerald City is?"

The boy nodded.

"I'll tell you what you do then. You stay here. I'll go down and order up some food." Dorothy explained. "In the morning, you head on over to the Emerald City…"

"No! She'll _find _me!" The boy quietly lamented. "She alwayyeeeEEE…" He stopped himself again. "…she _always_ does!"

"Betcha this time she won't." Dorothy responded, a sly smile on her face. "Do you know what a distraction is? It's when someone holds the attention of someone else. That's what I'm gonna do with Mombi so you can get away…and once you get to the Emerald City, you go right to the king, OK? Tell him…the gillikin girl Jellia sent out sent you."

The boy fearfully grabbed Dorothy's arms. "Don't go to Mombi! She…sheeeeeEEE…she'll do to you…what she did to _me!_"

"Oh, don't you worry. I've dealt with wicked witches before." Dorothy assured. "Twice."

"_Please _don't go, Rosemary!" the boy whined.

"I have to." Dorothy replied. "She has someone with her who can help you. Someone who can help us all. I have to try!" She then placed a hand on his quivering shoulder. "Promise me you'll stay here for the night, and then leave in the morning for the Emerald City. Don't stop for anything or anyone, okay?"

The boy was still hesitant in the next moment, but he then raised his head to Dorothy…and nodded.

"And when you get there, you ask for the King, or Jellia Jamb. Let her know the gillikin girl sent you. Don't forget!"

The boy shook his head. "I won't." Another involuntary wheeze followed, but he was able to stop this one quickly. A good sign, Dorothy thought.

"Okay. You stay up here, and I'll send up some food." She headed for the room door. "I'll see you very soon."

The boy nodded again. "Thank you…Rosemary."

Smiling, Dorothy hurried back over and kissed the boy on his lightly-furred forehead. After giving him a tight hug, she went back over to the door and headed downstairs to make the food request. She also advised the Innkeeper to remind the boy about the importance of going to the Emerald City.

Getting back on the road, and back to where she found the boy, did not take long, as she hurried her steps.

But as she neared the area where she spotted him, she saw that someone was there. Someone who, for the moment, had not yet noticed Dorothy's approach. The old lady seemed to be looking around, and growling over some matter that was obviously irritating her.

Dorothy's initial instinct was to knock her out with a large, dislodged tree branch she had spotted nearby…but she knew that would be foolish. If this was indeed Mombi, she was a witch. This time, too, Dorothy did not have the benefit of a pair of ruby slippers to protect her from _this_ witch's evil magic.

She resolved, instead, to stick to her pre-ordained plan.

As Dorothy stepped closer, she confirmed that if this were Mombi, the outfit did not correspond to what Jellia had described. The difference here was that this old woman had a white blouse on, and a patchwork quilt skirt. The hat she had on did reflect Jellia's description, however, and she had the purple shawl Jellia described resting against her slightly-hunched shoulders.

Dorothy stayed quietly still as her eyes curiously lingered on the old crone. She slowed her breathing, as well, and tried to keep calm despite her unavoidable nervousness.

The old woman then rose to her feet, her back still facing Dorothy, who was still a few paces away.

"It's rude to stare, gillikin." Her aged voice then remarked.

The old crone then turned to face Dorothy, with a curious, but considerably wicked expression.

Dorothy swallowed audibly before she spoke. "Are…are you…Mombi?" She took another step towards her, adopting an anxious pose. "Are you really _her?_"

The old woman frowned at this. "Who wants to know?"

"My name is Rosemary." Dorothy replied. "Ever since I was little, I…I've always wanted to learn witchcraft. Learn from witches like _you_. If you _are_ Mombi, that is."

The woman remained wary in her tone and expressions. "What makes you think I'm a witch, dear? Do you see me casting spells? Do you hear me chanting?"

"Well…if you're _not _a witch, can you tell me where I can find Mombi, at least?" Dorothy asked. "I hear she's _very _powerful."

The woman tilted her head to the side. "Why would you _want _to go sniffing out a witch like her?" She then stepped slowly to the side, starting a slow pacing movement around Dorothy. "Are you some kind of _dog?_"

"No! I told you! I want to learn witchcraft!" Dorothy replied. "I would have gone to one of those witches in the east and the west, but I…I heard some foolish girl came down from the skies and killed them both!"

"Yes. _Good riddance _to those miserable old shrews." The woman growled. "I heard that girl had a little black dog of her own, too."

"You wanted to join their coven, didn't you?" Dorothy chanced this snippet of Jellia's information, hoping it would not backfire. "They wouldn't let you. Why, I bet that that if they had, then all you'd need is a wicked witch in the south, and you could have easily taken over Oz."

The woman frowned again, keeping her gaze on Dorothy as she continued to pace around her. "You seem to have some fledgling knowledge of the 'craft, pup. It's true, though…if there were a wicked witch in each of the four territories of Oz, we could have conquered more than just this land."

Dorothy then dropped to her knees, looking elated. "So you really _are _Mombi, aren't you?"

The woman did not answer. She just continued to pace slowly around Dorothy. "So eager to learn, eh? Learn what Mombi knows? All her little tricks and…treats?" She then produced a bite-size object which looked like it was once part of a carrot. "You stay on your knees, pup. If you can catch this in your mouth, I'll tell you where you can find Mombi."

Dorothy's eyes fixed, as best she could, on the object the old woman prepared to toss.

She just hoped that whatever it was…if not a carrot portion…that it wasn't going to do anything to her. If she dropped her pose, though, and this was indeed Mombi, the witch could do something far worse to her.

With a wicked grin, the old woman tossed the object, which traveled in enough of a natural arc for Dorothy to be able to crane her head back slightly and open her mouth.

To Dorothy's relief, the object fell right into her mouth. When she crunched down on it, the disguised girl confirmed it was indeed a carrot segment, and a deliciously fresh one at that.

"Hah! _Good_ doggie!" The woman growled in her satisfaction. "Enjoying your carrot, my little bunny?"

"Oh, yeth! It tathth…" Dorothy stopped, her expression of satisfaction going serious as she noticed her sudden lisp. "…tathth…"

Her hands went up to feel at her two front teeth, which were now larger, and protruding slightly over her lower lip. Dorothy gasped aloud upon confirming this as the old woman stepped over to her, cackling in her obvious amusement. She then placed a wrinkled old hand over Dorothy's mouth, and the disguised Kansas girl felt a tingly warmth at her upper teeth.

"You say you're looking for Mombi." The old woman noted, a wicked grin on her wrinkled face. "You just found her, pup."

Mombi then pulled her hand away, and Dorothy noticed that her upper teeth were back to their normal human size. As she confirmed this, the old witch then gestured for the disguised Kansas girl to follow her.

"I hope you're ready to devote yourself to me, my little pet." Mombi menacingly noted.

Dorothy maintained her anxious pose, despite the unsettling circumstances she was obviously getting herself into. "Don't you worry. I'll do whatever you say. No matter what!"

Mombi giggled to herself again. "I'll remember you said that, Rosemary dear."

Her thoughts were of the boy, and she hoped he would follow her instructions and head back to the Emerald City as fast as he could.

Dorothy was at least satisfied that Mombi was clueless as to who she _really _was.

Now, it was just a matter of finding out where Glinda was being held.

But as the disguised champion from Kansas continued to follow the old gillikin witch, it occurred to her that she had forgotten to share the identity she had chosen with anyone other than the boy and Mombi. Still, she at least had the benefit of the two-part code at the Emerald City gates to confirm that the gillikin girl was actually Dorothy.

The old witch guided her gillikin guest to an old and decrepit farmhouse, where a single cow with four horns was grazing idly in the fields. Mombi led the disguised girl past the idling holstein and brought Dorothy to the interior of the old and run-down farmhouse near the green fields. The Kansas girl noticed that the cow was the only real livestock Mombi apparently kept, and this particular bovine resident looked considerably healthy, too.

When Mombi ushered Dorothy into the farmhouse, it became clear. As bad as the Gale farm was, Mombi's own farm was considerably worse. The gillikin woman she overheard at the Inn pretty much mirrored Dorothy's own thinking. Does Mombi expect the farm to take care of itself?

But then, Dorothy reasoned to herself, Mombi was more of a witch than a farmer.

Taking her through a grimy kitchen mostly made of wood, Mombi brought Dorothy into an adjoining room with a dresser and a single bed. As the disguised girl sat on this bed, the witch then pulled open a drawer, glanced to Dorothy, and rummaged through the clothes that had been folded up and placed in this particular drawer. Pulling out a particular group of the identical-looking clothes, she dropped the clothes on the bed next to her eager guest.

"You told me you would do whatever I say." Mombi then remarked, fixing a hard stare on the young gillikin. "I'm putting you to _work_, dog. Put those clothes on. That's all you're going to wear for the time being. My cow needs milking. Once in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. When you have those clothes on, you go out and you bring her in to the barn. Everything you need will be in there. Now you get changed, and don't you dare fret about the uniform, or I'll change you myself and have you on four legs, barking playfully in the fields."

Dorothy nodded nervously. "Yes, Miss Mombi."

The old witch left her new servant to change into her new outfit, which Dorothy confirmed to be the trappings of a milkmaid. The uniform, of course, had purple highlights, as the color was common to most of the clothing worn by the gillikin people.

Dorothy was at least fortunate that she had a bit of experience working with cows, as she had occasionally been called upon to help her Uncle Henry with his farming chores. About the only inconvenience such a task inflicted was that stray droplets of milk would stain her dresses, and that in the building humidity of a barn, she would perspire considerably.

Nevertheless, she had to keep up appearances. It was very important for Dorothy to hold Mombi's attention long enough for the boy to escape to the Emerald City, and the day was just beginning to lapse into the afternoon hours.

Once Dorothy was fully clothed in the uniform, she stepped back into the kitchen, where she saw Mombi placing vegetables into a pot. "All set, Miss Mombi." Dorothy reported, maintaining her anxious pose.

Mombi irritably whipped her head over to her new servant. "Well, go on out there, dog! Get that cow over to the barn!" She turned to Dorothy with a stern expression, wagging her finger in emphasis of her words. "I'll expect you to get enough out of that cow to make my milk, some butter, and some cheese! I'll expect you to prepare all those as well! And no matter what happens, no matter what you see in the fields, you'll stay in that barn and keep working, or I'll make you more of a four-legged _pet_ than a witch. Are we _clear,_ pup?"

Dorothy submissively performed a curtsey in understanding. "Yes, Miss Mombi."

"Good." Mombi growled. She then fired a finger to the farmhouse door. "Now get to work!"

Dorothy hurried out the door, already feeling the heat from the sun high above as she headed out towards the cow in the distance, knowing exactly where she was.

Although Dorothy was certainly capable of performing whatever hard work she was physically capable of doing, the tasks of a milkmaid were particularly tough to endure, largely because of the humidity element. Not making things any better was the other more evident concern for her Aunt and Uncle back in Kansas, and Dorothy began to worry about them as she led the four-horned cow over to the equally decrepit barn.

The only real way, she surmised to herself as she settled onto a wooden stool and began to squeeze and squirt the cow's soft teats into the large tin bucket she slid beneath the idling holstein, that she could slip away from her predicament and start searching for the marble statue Glinda had become would be to wait until the late evening, when she could confirm that the old crone was asleep.

Pass or fail, however, the second day's time would be up back in Kansas, which meant that unless her Aunt and Uncle managed some manner of miracle, the oil company mentioned in that telegram would forcibly evict them. About the only thing she could possibly count on, given this likely occurrence, was Glinda being able to somehow extract them…and Toto…from Kansas using her powerful magic.

Dorothy just hoped Glinda wouldn't have to extract them from county jail cells.


	8. VIII: Nothing Risked, Nothing Gained

Various munchkins stared curiously at Ojo and the four maids…and then, much more curiously, at the passing glass cat following behind Ojo…as they made their way through Munchkinland towards the lair of the Woozy.

Once the Mayor, who began following along with the group, learned that they were to pay a visit to the cave of the creature they all regarded as a most fearsome beast, he had munchkin soldiers summon for the Coroner to join the group.

This earned the green-suited Mayor an incredulous look from Ojo.

"Now, now…just a precaution, young man." The Mayor replied, somewhat sheepishly.

"Relax." The glass cat mused unto the Mayor. "I would have done the same thing."

Tula stayed close to Lo as the group neared a tall fence within a forest near the entrance to the Hyup community. The fence had been placed around the 30 foot space at the side of a mountain, and three old, unoccupied beehives lingered just above the square-shaped cave mouth, which was large enough to accommodate the passage of a goat.

"Hmmm…I don't see any bees around those hives." Tuppence observed.

"And you won't." The Coroner noted. "That terrifying Woozy ate each and every one of them. I fancy _those_ bees were angry over that monster eating all the honey bees some of our farmers were trying to raise. That's why the beast is here. We chased him into this cave. Then, the bees who made _those_ hives hoped to mount an assault on the creature." The Coroner then pulled his hat off mournfully. "Sadly, none of them made it out alive. I don't think they were even able to damage him at all. His hide is quite impetren…uh, ipemen…ipenetrem…um…it's really tough."

The glass cat nodded, tinking over to Ojo. "Sounds awful dangerous, all right." She then looked to the munchkin boy. "Go get him, Ojo! We'll wait until the fires die down to pull what's left of your body out of there."

Ojo sighed in irritation. "Could you be any more of a fatalist?"

"Only if you watch my pink brains work." The cat countered.

Ojo shook his head, turning to face the gate. "No time."

Ojo then went right for the gate, compelling a great many munchkins to holler their warnings and scream with concern. Only Lo seemed to smile over Ojo's sudden, selfless bravado when he got past the gate and moved toward the cave hole.

The Mayor hurried over to Lo as Tula fearfully pressed herself against the kind old munchkin witch. "That beast will rend that poor boy to pieces! Isn't there anything we can do, Lo?"

Lo, who still had that mysterious smile on her face, turned to look upon the concerned Mayor. "We must wait, your honor." Her gaze then went to the cave mouth. "Because I think that lucky munchkin will come out of this juuuuust fine."

"But…but don't you think we should have _prepared _him first?" The Mayor asked.

Lo shrugged at this. "Nothing risked, nothing gained, your honor."

"Hmmm…" The glass cat began to move towards the gate, after a moment's consideration. "…maybe I should give him a…"

Tuppence caught this, and knowing enough about the glass cat's vanity, she knew just what to do, seeing as how the glass cat would hardly be _any _kind of help.

"OH, WOW! LOOK!" Tuppence fired a finger towards the cat, who stopped and turned to Tuppence. "It's those _beautiful _pink brains I've heard so much about!"

The third maid jumped in, realizing the intent. "Oh yes! All those cubes moving around…aww, they stopped!"

The fourth maid pouted. "Think about something for us? Please?"

Munchkins began to curiously crowd around the glass cat, whose interest in such an odd request was easily piqued. She began prancing slowly in a circle, feeling so many amazed eyes on her.

"There they are! I see the cubes!" observed one munchkin.

"Are those emeralds in her eyes?" One child asked.

"Those emeralds _are _her eyes!" Another child confirmed.

"Do you think she can predict the future?" An older munchkin asked.

"Doubtful." A gruff munchkin man with a pointed hat and a beard replied, although this munchkin's eyes were not on the cat, but on the cave mouth. When the Mayor saw this munchkin, he headed over to him.

"I'm terribly sorry, Unc Nunkie." The Mayor lamented. "Ojo was too quick for us to stop him! I…I hope you'll accept our forgiveness if…well…the worst happens. I mean...we know you're his Uncle, after all..."

Unc Nunkie's stone-faced expression did not change as he answered. "Sure."

Ojo only had the light from the cave mouth to illuminate the interior of the square-mouthed cave, and that light certainly wasn't enough to cover the darker space ahead.

The munchkin boy expected to see the long-dead remnants of munchkins, but there wasn't a bone to be found anywhere within the cave. The area was damp and there was a moldy scent, but hardly anything that one would expect to smell when entering the cavernous domain of a savage monster.

It made Ojo all the more curious as to what kind of creature this Woozy actually was.

In the darkness of the cave, the munchkin boy took very slow steps as he ventured further in, feeling like a blundering novice for not having the good sense to grab a light source of some kind before entering the cave's interiors.

A few paces in, everything was black. As if he had stepped into a void. Only drops of moisture in the cave could be heard landing in small puddles beneath them.

As he continued moving with slow steps, his right leg then lightly touched an obstacle Ojo could not see.

And it didn't feel like a rock.

Rubbing his foot lightly along the surface, he found that it was smooth and flat. Ojo frowned in his curiosity.

And then, he felt the surface begin to move.

Keeping still out of fear for the unseen…thing…he had just unexpectedly discovered, he felt two limbs wrap around his right leg, and another flat surface rest against his thigh.

He also heard the sound of a gentle exhale.

Swallowing audibly, Ojo was at a loss for what to do next, but he at least knew he needed to have his leg back. He very slowly tried to lift his leg up…

…only to find that the limbs tightened their grip on the leg.

Ojo's eyes boggled now. Was this creature he had found the dreaded Woozy? It would make sense, Ojo thought to himself, given his unlucky nature.

But now, he worried as to what this creature might do to him if he did anything rash, like quickly pull his leg out of this creature's grasp.

But he certainly could not remain in this cave for the rest of his life! Not like this!

He tried pulling the creature towards the light ahead, at the square mouth of the cave. Fortunately, Ojo was able to slide this creature's body along the floor very slowly. Interestingly enough, the creature remained in its apparent slumber despite this bit of friction.

Although the grip on his leg went a little tighter. Clearly, whatever this thing was…assuming it was not the Woozy itself…did not want to let Ojo have his leg back.

Ojo, however, had to see what this creature _looked_ like, at least.

He slid the creature a little closer to the light. And then a little more. And then a little more after that. The munchkin boy was quite surprised that none of these slight movements was disturbing its rest.

When he finally got the creature close enough to the light to be able to see more of it, he saw that it was definitely a four-legged creature made up of several dark blue square-like shapes. It looked like it had a long box for a body, four narrow legs…two of which had wrapped around Ojo's leg very tightly…and a perfect cube for a head. At the creature's posterior was a stubby tail upon which three stiff, stubby hairs grew from its end.

Ojo blinked in recognition of this, especially since these were the only hairs on its entire body.

This _had _to be the Woozy!

But…_drat! _He had no sharp blades on his person to remove the hairs with!

Ojo sighed as his gaze lingered on the creature's tail. He knew what he wanted to try next could very well be one of the worst ideas imaginable under the circumstances, but he had to at least try!

Lowering and maneuvering himself to a point where his hands could reach the three hairs, the munchkin boy's fingers firmly held one of the three hairs, and he began to tug the stiff follicle up, hoping it would come out easily.

But it didn't. In fact, it didn't budge at all.

He tugged a little harder. In his building frustration, he tugged a bit harder. This hair was not coming out.

But a pair of square eyes suddenly opened wide at the cube-like head of this creature.

"_Who's that tugging at my tail?_" A voice then irritably called out.

Ojo's eyes boggled, and he leapt away in a terrible fright, letting out a yell of surprise as he did. Fortunately, as the creature began to stir, the grip it had on his leg had loosened, and he was able to slip it out when he leapt away from the square-bodied creature, who clambered to its four legs and turned to face the frightened munchkin boy.

The frowning, cube-headed creature frowned once his gaze fell upon the boy. "Hey! Gimme my leg back!"

"Don't burn me, please!" Ojo pleaded, crawling against the side of the cave as its four-legged occupant curiously walked towards him.

The creature's head tilted to the side. "Why would I want to burn you?" It then asked, speaking from a large, mouth-like opening beneath its flat nose. "I've been told I have a terrifying roar, but…"

"You're the Woozy, aren't you?" Ojo then fearfully interjected.

The creature's cube-shaped head nodded. "That's what they've been calling me, anyway."

Ojo was at least relieved to know he had found the bearer of one of the ingredients he came in to acquire. "I…I need the hairs on your tail."

"You do? Well, that doesn't sound so bad! I don't even know why the darn things are on my tail in the _first _place!" The Woozy responded. "I think my tail would look better without them, in fact!"

Ojo seemed less frightened now, seeing that the Woozy no longer looked very angry at all. "So you'll let me have them?"

"If you can get them off." The Woozy replied. "But I think I should ask for something in return, no?"

Ojo shrugged. "What do you want?"

The Woozy's eyes went to Ojo's right leg with a very wanting gaze.

"Other than my leg?" The munchkin boy added.

"Awwww, come on! Can't you spare that one?" The Woozy asked. "That leg rubbed against me! It felt so nice! Don't you have another one?"

"Yes, but I would have to hop around when it is much more convenient for me to walk." Ojo explained. "And for that, I would need both my legs. I'm sorry."

The Woozy sighed, lowering the perfect cube of his head. "I suppose you're right. Oh well..." He lifted his head back up. "…tell ya what. I'm done with eating honey bees. Got any bread? Or cheese, maybe?"

"What, like a cheese sandwich?" Ojo asked.

The Woozy's eyes lit up with interest. "That sounds good!"

Ojo nodded. "That sounds fair, sure."

"Finally! Some real food!" The Woozy sounded overjoyed at this assurance, prancing around in celebration. He then stopped as his gaze fell back on Ojo. "So…you know who I am, but I don't know a thing about you other than that you're another of those fraidy-cat munchkins out there. You got a name?"

The munchkin boy nodded. "I'm Ojo. Ojo the unlucky."

The Woozy frowned at that. "Unlucky? Why call yourself unlucky?"

Ojo shrugged. "Because I've always been that. I wouldn't even be here if it hadn't been for the mess I caused at Doctor Pipt's place. A really important person was petrified along with the Doctor and his wife. All because I was curious to read the label on a bottle. I fell off the chair I was standing on by accident, and the bottle crashed down to the floor. Its contents turned them into statues."

"But you didn't _mean _to do that, did you?" The Woozy asked.

Ojo shook his head. "Not at all. Those three people were my friends."

"Isn't that kind of thing called…an _accident?_" The Woozy curiously asked. "If it is, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Maybe you can do something to undo the accident?"

"Like I said, that's why I'm here." Ojo answered. "We tried looking at the home of one of the victims, who we all know to be the nicest and the strongest witch in the entire land. Aside from some strange word, we couldn't find anything."

As Ojo spoke, the Woozy curiously approached the cave mouth. He was still listening, but after what had happened to the square-bodied creature, he was a bit anxious to step out into the light again. "A strange word?"

"Uh-huh." Ojo got himself off the damp surface of the cave and returned to his feet. "What was it…oh, right. 'Krizzle-kroo'."

The Woozy's eyes then went from its benign, human-like appearance to the glow of a white-hot flame in the creature's surprisingly furious reaction to this particular word. In the next moment, a burst of fire shot out from his eyes, the deadly flames from each eye surging out of the cave's opening in a cone-shaped radius!

In his alarm, Ojo went back down to the ground, screaming out fearfully.

The munchkins waiting outside also screamed in horror, particularly when they heard Ojo's own scream within the cave. Tuppence and the other maids, still trying to keep the glass cat occupied with the exploitation of her own vanity, gazed in horror at the cave mouth, obviously concluding that the brave munchkin boy had just perished.

The glass cat was similarly startled by this occurrence, but in the next moment, she tinked a little closer to the surrounding gate.

"I _TOLD_ YOU YOU'D GET BURNED!" The cat then called out.

Munchkins lowered their heads mournfully. The Coroner pulled his hat off once again, holding it against his chest.

After that grave moment of silence, they heard a familiar voice yell out from within the cave.

"_Shut up! I'm FINE!_"

As it was indeed Ojo's voice, a wave of relief swept over the munchkins, Lo, and the four maids.

Ojo went back to his feet as the Woozy frowned upon him. "_Please _don't say that word again!"

Ojo blinked in confusion. "Why?"

"Because I heard it once, not long after I was born…" The Woozy seemed to be struggling with some unpleasant memory as he spoke. "…and it always makes me so angry because I just _don't know what it means!_"

The munchkin boy seemed to remember the glass cat having a similar, but far less dramatic, reaction to the word. "Maybe if we can un-petrify Glinda, the good witch of the north, she can help you find out why that word makes you so angry. I'll try not to repeat it from now on."

Ojo at least counted himself lucky that no one else spotted the word in Glinda's palace but him. He was particularly relieved that the glass cat didn't discover it.

"Sounds like a deal, then." The Woozy then looked toward the cave mouth. "I think I've had enough of this cave, too. Where shall we go next?"

Ojo thought on this. "Maybe you can help us find the other parts we need to free Glinda and the others?"

"Hmmm. Sounds intriguing. Besides…if we ever get into trouble, I'll just scare our problems away with my mighty roar!" He then looked to Ojo curiously. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Um, no, thank you." Ojo smiled nervously. "I think I've had more than enough frights in here."

"Awww, I'm sorry I scared you." The Woozy stepped over to Ojo, who was now smiling. "You munchkins get all worked up so easily!"

Ojo shrugged. "Munchkin nature, I guess."

The two sole occupants of the cave then moved, side by side, towards the cave entrance, and stepped out into the open air. A collective gasp from everyone on the other side of the fence could be heard as they did.

The Mayor, however, was especially frightened. "Oh, poor boy! The Woozy has Ojo under a _spell! _Dastardly creature! He's probably _devoted_ himself to protecting that monster!"

"Now that's enough out of you, you silly little man!" Lo scolded, hurrying over to the gate to open it. "It's like I always told people…that Woozy is _harmless!_"

"She's right." Ojo confirmed, smiling pleasantly. "We were wrong about him all this time."

The Mayor looked amazed as the supposedly monstrous creature calmly walked up to him and smiled up at the green-suited official. "Hello." This elicited a fearful gasp from both the Mayor and the Coroner.

Tula, however, stepped slowly over to the Woozy, and placed a hand against his head, rubbing at it.

The Woozy reacted approvingly to this rubbing. "It's nice to meet you too, little girl."

The munchkin maid smiled, curtseying to the creature. "I'm Tula."

"And I'm the Woozy, a partner of Ojo the lucky." He then glanced to the munchkin boy, whose reaction was predictably skeptical. "Even if he doesn't think he's lucky."

"Butbutbutbutbut…wh..w…what was with that b..burst of flame we saw?" The Coroner asked.

"Oh, that was just a misunderstanding." Ojo replied. "It's all good now."

Lo stepped over to get a closer look at the Woozy. "Remarkable creature." She then placed a hand against the creature's rectangular body. "Oh, my…this material is quite dense! That explains why the farmers were unable to hurt you!"

"All because I was hungry for bees." The Woozy explained. "The bees who came into my cave were pretty angry. The last one I ate tasted weird, though. Next thing I knew, I was so drowsy that I went right to sleep."

"Hmmm…" The Mayor rubbed at his chin in thought. "…they _did _say they were going to cover one of those bees with a draft from a sleep potion. No one thought it would work, though."

"Oh, we knew it would work, alright." One of the munchkins in the crowd…one of the farmers that had been raising the honey bees that had been eaten…came forward, his accusing eyes on the Woozy. "That stuff would have worked on the Scarecrow, even. Got it from the Doc."

"Well, in any case…" The Mayor turned to Ojo. "…you keep a close eye on your new friend, Ojo, and for goodness sake, be _careful_ around him!"

Once the Mayor and the Coroner stepped away from the area, the rest of the crowds dispersed, save for one munchkin who stepped over to the munchkin boy.

This particular munchkin had one arm behind his back, which obviously made Ojo curious. He also had a somewhat sour expression. From what he knew of their manner of dress, Ojo surmised that this might be one of the members of a guild he had been wanting to join.

When this single munchkin finally brought the hand behind his back out to present his offering to the munchkin boy…a large red lollipop…Ojo's eyes went wide with shock as he hesitantly took the offering. Without a single change in expression, the lollipop-bearing munchkin walked away.

The Woozy stepped over to the amazed munchkin boy curiously. "What is it, Ojo?"

A wide smile now played on Ojo's lips. "It's a message from the Lollipop Guild!" His eyes went to the Woozy in excitement. "This means they're _interested _in me!"

Lo stepped over to the amazed munchkin boy, getting a closer look at the lollipop. "Why, so it is! I know how much you've always wanted to be with that guild, Ojo. I'm so happy for you!"

"I think I might have had something to do with that, Ojo." The Woozy admitted. "I mean…if it wasn't for your being brave enough to go into my cave when no one else would…"

"Indeed! The Woozy has a point, Ojo!" Lo added.

Another voice, far more angry, could then be heard in the distance. The voice of an old woman. "Tula? Is that you I see? You get yourself over here _this instant, _young lady!"

"Oh, dear." Lo sighed. "Prudence."

Tula let out a bit of a shriek, but Tuppence grabbed her arm as she and the other three Emerald City maids hurried over to Lo and Ojo. "I think we'd better get back to the city before Prudence gets any closer." Tuppence remarked. She then kissed Ojo's forehead. "Congratulations on your success, Ojo! I hope to see you again back at the Emerald City sometime!"

Tula also stepped over to put a kiss on the boy's cheek. "Bye, Ojo! See you around!" She then moved to the Woozy, giving him a hug. "I hope to see you again as well, Mister Woozy!"

"Awww, I hope so too." The Woozy replied. The quartet of maids then hurried over to a departing carriage…being drawn by a horse of a different color…and jumped onto it before Prudence could reach them. All four maids waved to Ojo, the Woozy, and Lo as the carriage left.

"NO! NO! COME BACK! PLEASE!" Prudence sounded more distraught than angry as she ran after the faster carriage. Once the carriage was beyond the borders of Munchkinland, the old woman sighed distressfully. Upon spotting Lo, she hurried over to her. "Lo, please…you've got to get Tula out of the Emerald City!"

Lo, however, seemed dismissive. "Prudence, I really don't think she requires a tutor anymore…"

"Please! This has nothing at _all _to do with the Learning Guild!" Prudence wailed. She then produced a piece of parchment paper and handed it over to the white-clad munchkin witch. "It's about _that!_"

Lo looked over the parchment…and her expression went entirely grave. Ojo noticed this, and stepped over to the old munchkin, as did the glass cat and the Woozy.

"Oh, dear me…" Lo fearfully remarked, bringing her head up. She then looked to Ojo. "Some insane munchkin soldier is arranging a _revolt _on the Emerald City!"

Lo spoke these words loud enough for others in the area to hear, and they shared the shocked expression Ojo had on his face.

The Woozy, after a moment, looked up to the munchkin boy. "I guess that cheese sandwich will have to wait, huh?"

* * *

><p>Dorothy had begun working the nearby butter churn, using the milk she had collected from the four-horned cow, as the sweaty, tired-looking Kansas girl began hearing voices outside. As much as she wanted to stop and spy on whatever was going on, she figured she was close enough to hear anything that might be said or done in the fields outside the barn.<p>

The four-horned cow had been staring upon Dorothy as she worked the churn. Her eyes didn't go anywhere else. Not a sound emerged from the holstein's muzzle. It seemed as if she were keeping a close eye on Mombi's newest milkmaid, making sure she would not deviate from her duties.

The sounds Dorothy heard, however, were that of various activities and exercise. A few voices were heard, but they were of commanding female voices…munchkins, the milkmaid guessed…counting out exercise sets.

But there was more than just exercise going on. There were also drills of a military nature. Marches and fight training went hand-in-hand with the rigors of the calisthenics. The uniformed female munchkins had been running these apparent recruits through all of these routines, using the large expanse of space provided by the fields in front of Mombi's farm. Mombi herself was among the soldiers training and exercising the recruits, watching with a kind of wicked glee, while another more official-looking munchkin female stepped out of the farmhouse to observe the proceedings.

And all the recruits had one thing in common.

Like their transformed trainers, they were all female.

The munchkin officer…General Jinjur…caught the sound of the butter churn as she made her observational rounds. She signaled Mombi over to the barn as she approached it, and the smirking witch began moving towards where she had left her milkmaid.

Jinjur waited for Mombi to stop next to her before gesturing towards Dorothy. "What's the story with _this _one? She looks fit enough to be one of us."

"And deprive me of good help? No…this is my apprentice-to-be. She's learning lessons in devotion and loyalty by serving as my milkmaid for as long as I feel Rosemary needs to." Mombi moved to the space just behind Dorothy as her servant continued to lift the pole up and down in a slow rhythm.

Mombi then placed her wrinkled hands firmly upon her servant's shoulders as she worked. "Besides…she's a little out of _shape _to be doing all your crazy exercises!"

Once Mombi said 'shape', the fingers of her hands then dug into the Kansas girl's shoulders, provoking a tingling feeling not unlike that felt when the ulnar nerve…the funny bone…is struck, except it was all over her body, and her eyes boggled at this sensation as she let out a loud gasp of surprise. In this moment, she had to stop churning as the tingling continued to linger all over her body. Although it certainly _felt_ like Mombi had literally punctured the skin of her shoulders, all that were seen were brown bruises at each of the areas where a finger had pressed, but the skin was otherwise undamaged.

"I suppose we could use another spellcaster in time." Jinjur mused aloud as she continued to look upon the milkmaid, who was now panting in a manner the munchkin General surmised to be fatigue. "After tonight, we should have more than enough recruits to begin planning our takeover of the Emerald City. You'd better be ready for that, Millicent."

"As always, I remain your humble servant, General." Mombi replied, with a surprisingly sweet tone, as the strong tingles in Dorothy's body weakened enough for her to once again grasp the pole of the churn and resume the churning rhythm the old witch had interrupted.

Dorothy looked down at herself as Mombi and Jinjur departed. She didn't _look _any different…aside from her being very sweaty from all the work she had been doing…after Mombi had squeezed her shoulders as hard as she did, although she could still feel the tingles running all around within her. Whatever the witch had done, it was entirely possible that the effects would either be seen…or felt…later.

Just as troubling was the apparent plot this munchkin General…who she did not recognize at all…was attempting to set in motion. An invasion of the Emerald City? The Scarecrow had to be alerted somehow! And _before_ this army was ready to march!

It was still the late afternoon, however, and Dorothy heard a much larger crowd outside as she put the finishing touches on the butter she had procured from the churn, remembering everything her Aunt Em had taught her. Only now she had to return to the four-horned cow and resume milking her to get what she needed to make the required cheese.

As she resumed squeezing at the teats, she suddenly heard a husky, velvety voice that was very close, and to her right. "Gently now."

Dorothy blinked. When she turned her head to the source of the voice, she saw that the head of the four-horned cow was now angled towards her, and looking right at her.

The milkmaid slowly turned her head back to the teats after a moment as she applied a more gentle touch to the teats.

"That's right." Dorothy heard the voice say, confirming without looking that this voice belonged to the very same cow she was milking. "Good girl." The voice then complimented.

At that point, the recovering milkmaid heard female soldiers calling out for attention, among other disciplinary commands. Dorothy surmised a speech was about to be made.

Sure enough, Jinjur's voice could be clearly heard addressing the crowd in front of her…

"Future protectors of the land of Oz! Today, you have begun a rigorous training regimen, and in preparation for a most momentous occasion! No longer shall we be oppressed by the folly of man! No longer shall we respond to the whims of a _thing_, perfect brains or not! Our army of revolt will not rest until a living, breathing _person _has replaced that straw-headed puppet as your new _Queen _of Oz!"

A cry of elation followed, and then silenced in the very next moment. Jinjur then continued her speech.

"Some of you wonder why I, General Jinjur, refer to the Scarecrow as a mere puppet. Clearly, the Wizard of Oz means to return to us someday! He'll expect the Scarecrow to easily hand over the crown, and pick up where he had left off in running a pathetic regime in which he practically hid behind _parlor tricks _that he used to fool everyone into believing he was an actual _wizard! _He even found it disturbingly prudent to send a lost young girl out to destroy a dangerous witch! A young girl with _no weapons _and _no training! _He might as well have sent that poor girl out to _die!_"

As the crowds cried out once more in agreement, Dorothy couldn't help but think on Jinjur's words. She found it hard to disagree with them at all. She also thought about the Scarecrow's dislike of being the land's king. It was entirely possible that the stuffed monarch would not put up any kind of a fight if this "army of revolt" breached the gates of the city.

"Gently now." The cow reminded, and Dorothy eased up on her grasp of the teats. "That's right. Good girl."

"This madness has gone on long enough! I know some of you are fresh recruits, which is why your training will begin _tonight_, while the first wave will be dismissed to their beds in their homes. I will expect _all _of you to be ready in _two days_, counting today, as I intend to have us march on the Emerald City upon the rising of the third day's sun!"

Upon hearing this, Dorothy felt a bit of relief, seeing as how there was time…although not much of it at all…to alert the Emerald City, somehow.

A moment of silence followed, then Jinjur's voice spoke again. "What is it, Philomena?"

The next voice sounded entirely familiar to Dorothy, as she seemed to remember hearing it inside a meeting of some kind of learning guild. "Rumor has it that the great champion of Oz…the very same young girl you have mentioned…has returned to the land. Might Dorothy Gale herself be convinced to join us?"

Jinjur had to pause at this. It would certainly be advantageous to have someone like Dorothy in this army she was building, particularly with the points she made about the Wizard sending that girl out to do his dirty work. A few moments with the great hero from Kansas, and the General figured she'd certainly have Dorothy as an ally.

But, at the same time, there would have been one point of argument that would have kept Dorothy from being won over, and she had to use this, despite her lingering respect for a young heroine she had always wanted to meet.

Despite the tingles still running through her entire body, Dorothy herself had to listen in as she continued her gentle squeezing of the cow's teats.

"I wonder, Philomena, if you are aware of how close Dorothy Gale and the Scarecrow are." She began, after a moment of thought. Jinjur then directed her voice to the rest of the assembled crowd. "In fact, I believe before she abandoned Oz and left us to fend for ourselves, she had said she would miss the Scarecrow most of all, did she not? I doubt she would so easily give up her obvious allegiance to one of her three traveling companions…but at the same time, I will remind you all that our purpose is _conquest! _I want a full defeat, _not_ a bloodbath! You will use harsh, but non-lethal strikes on your foes! If you should find Dorothy Gale, she is to be unharmed. Knocked out, if you must. Is that fully understood?"

"HOO-AH!" The crowd replied, in unison.

Philomena, however, knew by now that she wanted no part in this army, and once Jinjur was done addressing the crowd, she resolved to quietly abandon it and resume her work as the Headmistress of the Learning Guild.

The disguised Kansas girl sighed as she kept milking the cow. Jinjur had made a solid point. In no way would she ever betray her very first traveling companion in her first journey to the Emerald City. If it came to a confrontation, regardless of the valid points the General had made about the Wizard thoughtlessly using Dorothy to rid himself of his witch problems, Dorothy would nevertheless defend the Scarecrow's right to rule. Even though the Scarecrow himself was having second thoughts about actually wanting to remain the land's king.

"Gently now." Came the cow's voice once again, and Dorothy eased up on her teat grips. "That's right. Good girl."

Jinjur's voice continued to address the crowd. "With any good fortune, there will be a _new _order in Oz, with a strong and proud ruler in the throne room seat! Until such a ruler is found, I, General Jinjur, shall rule in the deposed Scarecrow's stead! All will prosper and be happy under my rule until we can find someone better! Never again will Oz know the oppression of witches other than those who ally with us!" She gestured to Millicent at this. "Glory awaits our devoted army as we march upon the City upon the rising of the third day's sun!" Jinjur then raised a fist high. "FOR OZ!"

"FOR OZ!" The crowd roared back.

Jinjur screamed it again. "FOR OZ!"

"FOR OZ!" came her reply from the encouraged crowds. And they repeated it a third time, as well.

Lieutenant Spindle's voice blared forth next. "SOLDIER'S DISCIPLINE!"

"HOO-AH!" came the reply from the crowd, accompanied by snaps of attention.

"As you all were!" And then, Jinjur was finished speaking. Dorothy heard the crowd begin to disperse and mutter as she continued to milk the cow. Her attractively wavy hair was moist with sweat now, as the humidity of the barn area was beginning to wear on her endurance. The disguised Kansas girl mopped away the beads of sweat at her brow with one arm, and then resumed her milking action.

By the time the afternoon dissolved into the evening hours, Dorothy was able to finish up her milking duties, being able to fill several empty glass jugs with milk from the four-horned cow. She still had enough milk left to combine it with the non-magical bacterial liquid Mombi had provided her milkmaid in the cultivation of the cheese the old witch had requested. Dorothy still heard activity outside, and it seemed that these women were training all through the night, even as the Kansas girl was working on cultivating the cheese.

As Dorothy worked, one of the recruited women brought a bowl of hot soup over to her. "This is from Millicent." The recruit noted before stepping away. As the Kansas girl hungrily ate the soup, she remembered Jinjur calling Mombi by that name. No doubt Millicent and Mombi were one and the same, and she made a mental note of that.

Once she finished her nourishing soup, Dorothy went back to work. She then heard hooves clop toward her, and the disguised Kansas girl slowly turned her head to the four-horned cow. "I like you, Rosemary." She gently complimented. "You have a nice touch when you milk me. That boy who was here before you was far too jumpy and nervous to be as effective as you are. I'll be looking forward to your doing this again tomorrow."

Dorothy gave the cow a cordial nod. "Thank you, um…Miss Cow."

"Awww, you're such a good girl, milkmaid." The cow then clopped over to her nearby stall. "Good night, Rosemary." And then, Dorothy heard nothing more from the farm's only cow for the rest of the night.

Placing a full jug of milk in the farmhouse's kitchen, and placing the butter and the cheese where Mombi had instructed her to place them, Dorothy finally had time to herself, although she was herself very, very tired. That there were still lingering tingles running all over her body wasn't helping much, and she was still curious as to what kind of effect, if any, these lingering tingles would have on her, assuming that this was a magic effect at all.

It didn't occur to Dorothy that she felt a little heavy when she lifted herself off the milking stool.

Fighting the urge to collapse upon the dense mess of hay in the barn, Dorothy pushed herself to stay awake and begin her search for the statue of Glinda. The disguised Kansas girl knew she had to be very, very careful. She at least had the advantage of the groups of trainees and soldiers choosing to enter into small campsites that had been erected in front of Mombi's farmhouse so they could sleep.

Dorothy spent a good two hours searching around the farmhouse area for any sign of the statue.

The Kansas girl could not find it at all.

She hoped that it wasn't concealed by some spell Mombi had cast. Perhaps she had made the statue invisible to the naked eye, Dorothy quietly surmised. A series of yawns, however, intervened on this thinking.

The tingles were making Dorothy way too tired for her to continue her search, and she therefore made her way back to the barn, collapsing upon a pile of hay.

After three deep breaths, Dorothy was fast asleep.


	9. IX: Spies and Milkmaids

With Glinda neutralized and a revolt being organized, Lo realized that she could no longer live in her self-imposed seclusion. She had to break her anonymity…while at the same time keeping her secrets…by heading out to the Emerald City, a place she had not been to for many months. Back then, the charlatan ruler…the Wizard of Oz…was in the seat of absolute power.

He also factored into the reason she had gone into anonymity.

Ojo, in his determination to undo the petrification his accident inflicted on Glinda, Doctor Pipt and his wife, followed her over, as did the Woozy and the glass cat. The entourage had left Munchkinland moments after Prudence had given Lo the notice about the forming of the army. She looked at the notice again during her journey, by pink horse-drawn carriage, to the city…

**WAKE UP, people of Oz!  
><strong>**  
><strong>**Our lands must NO LONGER  
><strong>**be DEFENSELESS in the face  
><strong>**of future threats to the land!**

**It's time to make a  
><strong>**DIFFERENCE!**

**Do your part in making Oz  
><strong>**STRONG!**

**Say NO to charlatan Wizards  
><strong>**and their straw-stuffed puppets!**

**Join the CITIZENS ARMY!**

**Inquire with Farmer MILLICENT  
><strong>**in the Gillikin Country  
><strong>

Farmer Millicent. The Gillikin Country. This was what had alarmed Lo upon her first look at this notice.

Millicent Thrombey, after all, was a name Mombi frequently used to disguise herself. Lo herself was once deceived by this pose.

The munchkin witch had failed to convince any of the gillikins that Millicent was actually Mombi. The old witch was too good at covering her true identity, despite her defeat at Glinda's hands.

As it was late in the day, and despite the pleas of the glass cat that she represent them as they slept(which she knew could be a potentially disastrous option), Lo and Ojo were given rooms in the royal palace to sleep, and they turned in following a nourishing meal. As much as the Scarecrow wanted very much to inquire with Lo about a way to break the petrification spell, he knew that while he as a straw-stuffed man could go day and night without sleep, Lo and Ojo were "meat people", as the munchkin farmer who created him called them. As meat people, they needed sleep. All the better for them to have all the energy and clear thought for them to be questioned about their urgent business…and in Lo's case, the petrification…once they had finished their breakfast.

Lo was the first to rise from her sleep, and she went right to the throne room, where one of the maids on evening duty permitted the munchkin witch to step in.

The Scarecrow monarch was quick to explain the situation regarding Glinda and her petrification, but Lo's reply was not what the straw-stuffed king was hoping to hear.

"I'm afraid I haven't the skill to undo such an effect, your majesty." Lo responded. "However, I have a means by which I can acquire answers, and it would seem that something must be created to break the spell. Ojo has been quite steadfast, thus far, in acquiring the ingredients we need. That box-like creature…the Woozy…has one of the components on his tail. It's just a matter of detaching them, which is a difficult matter in itself as the Woozy's hide…even at that stubby tail…is quite thick, and the hairs on the tail that we need won't come out very easily."

Lo then told the listening monarch about the other ingredients needed…or rather, the ones that had not yet been acquired. The six-leaf clover, and the one-quarter pint of well water.

"Well! The water shouldn't be a problem!" The Scarecrow responded. "I'm sure we have _plenty _of wells all over Oz!" He then looked to the maid standing beside the throne seat. "Don't we?"

"This water cannot come from just _any _well, your majesty." Lo noted. "It needs to come from a well where no light…not even direct moonlight, nor direct sunlight…shines down into its depths. I know of one such well, but it is in the Gillikin Country, and it is perilously close to a certain farmhouse inhabited by a certain witch."

"Mombi?"

Lo nodded. "I'm afraid so…and we may have a much bigger problem on its way to the Emerald City, your majesty."

At this point, Jellia Jamb stepped into the throne room, allowing the maid assigned to the king to step away and retire for a few hours' sleep of her own. Upon spotting Lo, she gave the munchkin witch a polite curtsey. "Good morning."

Lo smiled. "Good morning, Jellia. I trust you had a very good night's sleep?"

Jellia blinked. "You…know me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jellia dear. I should introduce myself." The old munchkin extended a small hand. "My name is Lo."

"Lo? OH! You're the good witch from Munchkinland! Thank goodness you're finally here!" Jellia accepted the hand, gently shaking it as she smiled. "I guess you know about what happened."

Lo nodded. "Although there's a far more grave matter which I was about to share with the king." She then handed the notice Prudence gave her to the Scarecrow. Jellia also looked at it, reading over the Scarecrow's shoulder.

The stuffed monarch frowned as he lifted his head up to look at Lo. "Millicent?"

"If I'm right, her full name is Millicent Thrombey." Lo replied. "It was an alias that Mombi once used."

Jellia frowned. "_If_ you're right?"

"Well, I would not want us to jump to conclusions, Jellia." Lo warily noted. "We only know this woman's first name. There could logically be _other_ Millicents in Oz, after all!"

Jellia nodded. "We just have to confirm the last name, then."

The Scarecrow's eyes were back on the notice, however, as Lo and Jellia spoke. His gaze lingered on its words thoughtfully.

"They think I'm a _puppet?_" The Scarecrow now looked troubled. "But…I have no hand in my head, moving my mouth! And my voice is my own!"

"I think they mean that the Wizard purposely put you on the throne while he was away." Jellia explained. "Whoever wrote this seems to think that if the Wizard returns, you'll let him resume his rule."

"Well, that seems only fair, don't you think?" The Scarecrow reasoned. "I mean…I never _asked _to be the ruler of Oz. All I wanted was a brain!"

"But you have been such a _good _ruler, your majesty." Lo gently noted. "You don't want to abandon the people who _do _trust in you, do you?"

"But…I can't think of things like armies and fighting and...and setting new rules about emergencies at the gates of the city!" The Scarecrow looked troubled now. "I'm just a scarecrow!"

"A scarecrow with a very good brain, your majesty!" Jellia reminded.

"Good brain? I thought a right triangle was an isosceles triangle, Jellia!" The straw-stuffed monarch countered.

Lo had to quickly interject. "Your highness…if I may, if anyone asked me…before, or after, the Wizard gave you your brain…if I could use my witchcraft to help find the smartest person on this entire planet who had the most perfect brain, or a globally-accepted leader of men, women, and children, I can tell you, with all the conviction imaginable, that my answer…whether I used my witchcraft or not…would be the same as Glinda's."

Jellia and the Scarecrow looked curiously to Lo, awaiting her answer.

Lo then smiled. "That no such person exists, nor will such a person _ever _exist. Not even a magically-created individual like yourself, nor any animal. Your tin-plated friend, Nick Chopper, has a very sentimental nature and is well-deserving of the heart the Wizard gave him, but he's certainly not the most heartfelt person on the planet, nor is your other friend, the Lion, the most courageous of all living things."

Jellia nodded in agreement, but the Scarecrow still looked perplexed. "But…what do I do about this 'Citizens Army'?"

Lo thought on this. "Perhaps if we were able to find this 'Millicent', we could…"

A loud rapping on the throne room door, echoing through the long hall leading to the throne room, interrupted the munchkin witch. They then heard the sound of a door opening, and footsteps heading their way. Such was the Scarecrow's established protocol: knock, and then enter. And when he heard such a knock, he knew that it almost always came from Private Omby Amby.

As Omby walked down the hall, a wheezing sound could also be heard. The wheeze sounded very much like a donkey's bray.

The boy was wrapped in a bedsheet, with only his lightly-furred face showing. He looked terribly nervous as he stood in front of the Scarecrow, who gazed upon the partially-transformed boy sympathetically, as did Lo and Jellia.

"He would not identify himself, your highness." Omby reported. "Apparently, he does not remember it."

Lo stared upon the boy, deep in thought. "I think, before we hear anything from this boy, he should at least have the benefit of a drink." She looked to Jellia. "A goblet of lacasa, if you would, Jellia." Lo then stepped over to the head maid and whispered in her ear. "Bring a spoon, too."

Jellia nodded, and hurried away to the palace's kitchen to acquire the beverage. While she was a way, the Scarecrow turned to the boy. "Did someone…_make_ you look like this?"

"I…I can't say." He wheezed again, involuntarily. "She'll find me. She always does."

"But _who_, dear?" Lo asked. "Who is it that always finds you?"

The boy squinted his eyes shut. "I can't _say! I…can't…sayeeeEEE-AWWW!_"

"All right, all right. I apologize, young man." Lo patted gently at the boy's shoulders in consolation. "We'll just wait for your drink to arrive, yes?"

And arrive it did, a few moments later. Jellia brought a full pitcher of lacasa, with a single goblet full of the beverage, both of which had been placed on a tray. Lo took the goblet off the tray, and then produced a packet that was ripped open. Lo poured its contents…a fine white powder…into the lacasa goblet. Discreetly procuring the requested spoon from Jellia, Lo stirred and dissolved the powder into the drink, which she then brought over to the boy once she handed the spoon back to Jellia.

The boy, who was indeed thirsty from his on-foot trek to the city, accepted the offered drink and began pouring it right down his throat as a smiling Lo watched. Jellia was also quite curious for what this powder would do.

When the boy was brought before the king, the Scarecrow, Jellia and Lo noticed evidence of a donkey tail between the boy's legs. This tail now began to shrink, moving upwards towards the boy's spine. He then began to writhe a bit from the tingles and weird sensations going through his body. They also saw that the boy's blackened nose was restoring itself to its natural color.

In the next moment, the boy blinked, noticing that he no longer had the involuntary urge to wheeze, and he released the bedsheet that covered him as well, revealing a perfectly normal…but still nervous-looking…human boy.

The Scarecrow smiled, as did Jellia, as the boy looked to them. "D…do you have any _more _of that stuff?"

Jellia nodded. "You can have as much as you like, dear…although we do have some questions for you."

The boy lowered his head. "Well…I…I'll try to answer them…but I honestly don't know too much."

"Whatever you can answer will be fine, young man…and no matter what, you're getting more of that drink." The Scarecrow assured, gesturing to Jellia, who refilled the now-empty goblet. The monarch's burlap face then turned back to the boy. "Now…can you tell us who made you look as you did?"

The boy sighed. "I told you…I…"

Lo quickly interjected, moving to whisper into the boy's ear. "Was it Mombi, dear? Just nod your head if I'm right."

The boy looked to Lo for a moment, and then nodded his head. "I really hope she didn't do anything to that nice gillikin girl, Rosemary. She was nice enough to do that…um…'diss-_track_-shun' thing with Mombi so I could get here."

"Well! This Rosemary must be a very brave girl!" Lo observed, smiling.

"Rosemary?" The Scarecrow frowned, rubbing at his burlap head in contemplation. "We sent Dorothy out to find Mombi, too…and if Dorothy is renowned for killing witches, she might have thought Mombi would know the name."

"And you think Rosemary and Dorothy are one and the same?" Jellia surmised aloud as she handed the full goblet to the boy.

"I'd stake my Th-D on it, Jellia!" The stuffed monarch replied.

Lo's eyebrows rose. "Ahhh, so Dorothy _did _make it to you, your majesty. Very good, very good!" The old witch smiled, but then her expression went serious. "But…you say she was sent out to find _Mombi? _Why in the world did you do that?"

"Actually, it was Dorothy's idea, Lo." The Scarecrow responded. "It was a logical argument, too. We thought Mombi could be hiding in plain sight using a disguise. She figured if she went in under a disguise, under the pretense of someone _wanting _to meet her…"

"Dorothy figured she might want an apprentice." Jellia quickly interjected. "She explained that idea to me while I was preparing her disguise."

Lo sighed. "Jellia…you'd be surprised how long I've known old Mombi. I can tell you, therefore, that in my experience, she would sooner take a servant…as she no doubt did with this boy…than train an apprentice. When Mombi was defeated by Glinda, Mombi made a promise to never again use magic in the north lands. She also promised to develop a farm owned by a rival she had eliminated during her short but merciless reign. This rival _also _wanted to convince Mombi to make her an apprentice…but when the rival learned just how wicked Mombi was as a witch, she turned on her. Needless to say, that rival was never seen again."

A grave expression was now on the burlap face of the king of Oz as he lowered his head. "Oh, no…"

Jellia had a regretful expression as well. "It's…been some time…since we sent her out…" She looked to Lo. "…do you think she might have seen through Dorothy's disguise, Lo?"

"Oh, it's possible that she hasn't!" Lo replied. "Assuming Dorothy has been playing it smart. I mean…Mombi is certainly a powerful witch, but I don't think she's powerful enough to read minds, otherwise she would not be so reliant on transformation magic."

Jellia nodded. "If you can't read their minds, fool the truth out of them."

Lo nodded. "Precisely."

"But you said she'd sooner take a servant than an apprentice." The stuffed monarch interjected. "If the boy _was _her servant, it's possible she has Dorothy serving her now, whether she's in disguise or not."

"Right, but if Mombi knew Rosemary was _Dorothy,_ Mombi would see her as too much of a threat to keep as a servant." Lo countered. "If she still thinks our friend from Kansas is Rosemary, though, we might have a shot at getting her away from there."

"But…what about that big army?" The boy asked.

The Scarecrow lowered his head again. "The Citizens Army. Dear me…Dorothy captured, and we have these _soldiers _to think about, too! I don't think my brain can handle all this at once!"

"I bet your brain could if everyone could see it work!" came a familiar female voice.

They all turned to see Omby Amby marching into the throne room. Behind him was the munchkin boy, Ojo, and flanking him were the Woozy and the glass cat.

"Good morning, Auntie Lo." Ojo remarked, rubbing at his eyes. "Say…can I see that notice you had? About the army?" He then noticed the Scarecrow, and gave a courteous bow. "Oh…I'm sorry, your highness."

The Scarecrow rose up from the throne seat and handed the notice to Ojo, who took a close look at every word of it. "Hmmm…defenseless…charlatan…puppets…"

After another scrutinizing moment, the boy's head rose. "I think I know who wrote this. I've seen her writing before."

Lo's eyebrows rose up. "You have?"

"Uh-huh. If I'm right, then my cousin is in this army. She could even be leading it." Ojo revealed. "If I'm right, her name is Jinjur."

"_Jinjur?_" The Scarecrow now had a surprised expression of his own. "She was one of the soldiers I sent out to look for a stolen dishpan! She ran off in a huff when Master General Commander Belay tricked me into thinking she gave him her progress report." He then lowered his head regretfully. "I never realized there was any kind of rivalry between them."

"Maybe Mombi convinced Jinjur to create this army, your highness." Jellia surmised aloud.

"So? Forget Mombi! Let's put a spy in that _army!_" The glass cat then remarked, as the cubes of her pink brains continued to shift around. "Someone we can trust! Send a woman, though. I don't understand why it always has to be a _man _soldier…anyway, send a woman with a good head on her shoulders! Of course, her brain could _never_ be as good as mine…I mean, you can see _mine _work…"

The Woozy turned his box-like head to the cat curiously. "Why is it so important for people to see your brains work? I was watching them all last night, and they didn't seem so special to me."

The cat tilted her head curiously. "Then why is everyone staring at me all of a sudden?"

* * *

><p>Once the morning sun had reached the five o' clock position, Dorothy Gale's eyes began to flutter open.<p>

Stretching and yawning for a long moment upon the thick pile of hay she slept on, her eyes then widened as she suddenly realized that something felt very different to her this morning.

The tingles she had running all over her body, since Mombi had grasped her shoulders, were now completely gone. The bruises Mombi's fingers had made were also gone.

Dorothy closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. It also became apparent to her that she wasn't tired in any way beyond her stretching and yawning upon waking up. She therefore began to rise from the bed of hay she had been laying on…

…and found this action to be a little more difficult, given the visible difference in her appearance compared to the previous day.

Curiously glancing at her arms, she noticed that they looked slightly larger than usual. Her hands then went to her face, feeling at her cheeks and her neck. Nothing felt any different.

When Dorothy made the effort of rising to her feet, however, she let out a slight grunt, as if burdening excess weight. She did make it to her feet, and although she was still in her milkmaid uniform, the shape of her body finally revealed what Mombi had done to the disguised Kansas girl.

Although she was not at all grossly fat, Dorothy was definitely larger in frame. Her fully-uniformed body, usually quite trim for a girl her age, was now more of a rubenesque figure. Her clothes felt a little tight on her, although she could still move around and work in them.

It now dawned on Dorothy. The meaning of what Mombi had said before those bony fingers of hers dug into the Kansas girl's shoulders. About how Dorothy was apparently "a little out of shape".

Which obviously implied that Mombi didn't want Dorothy joining the planned revolt at all. At least, not as a soldier. But if Jinjur needed spellcasters, then why didn't Mombi start training Dorothy in witchcraft?

She didn't quite know what to think of this, although she suspected that the next time she saw Mombi, she would likely gloat about it. Noticing a broom in one corner of the barn, she grabbed it and began sweeping around the barn, doing what she could to tidy up the area in advance of the old witch paying her a visit.

As her sweeping routine had her coming close to the stall where the four-horned cow had slept, Dorothy noticed that she was not there. No doubt she was in the fields grazing. The Kansas girl swept within the stall area as well, making sure it was particularly clean and tidy.

Once Dorothy was sure the stall was as clean as she could possibly get it, she turned around…and gasped in surprise, seeing a smirking Mombi standing a few paces away from her. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest as she got a good look at her milkmaid.

"I see we're looking a bit…_heavy_ today?" Mombi mused aloud. "I should feed you _smaller_ bowls of soup from now on!"

"I…I was just cleaning around the barn…"

"I noticed." Mombi stepped closer to Dorothy, a partial smile on her face. "You did good work on the butter and cheese yesterday. I have a good amount of milk today as well, thanks to you, my future apprentice."

"Miss Mombi…please…why do I look like this?" Dorothy asked. "Is it because…"

"It's because I WANTED you to look like this, dog!" Mombi growled. "In case you had any ideas about that little army you spied on yesterday. I don't want you doing any silly fighting. I want you _working!_"

"Oh, but Miss Mombi…I don't have any interest at all in that army!" Dorothy assured, as convincingly as she could. "I told you…I want to be a witch, just like you! You didn't have to do anything to me…I'm with _you_, one hundr…"

Mombi grasped Dorothy's cheeks with a firm grip. "I will do whatever I _want _to you, milkmaid! Hasn't it dawned on you that your loyalty to me is being _tested? _I command, you obey!" Letting her go, the old witch then stepped behind Dorothy, her hands once again on her shoulders as she brought her lips close to the disguised Kansas girl's right ear. "Like a _gooood girl_."

Dorothy blinked at the sound of those last two words. They sounded strangely familiar to her, and she began staring forward nervously. Memories of Aunt Em using those very same words to her whenever she behaved herself around the farm back in Kansas filled her mind. In fact, she remembered dreaming about these moments during the night.

"That's right." Mombi continued to speak in Dorothy's ear in a soft tone. "My cow likes you, Rosemary dear. You're going to start taking _very_ good care of her, won't you?"

Despite the four horns, the cow did remind her of Imogene, the cow that was a part of the Gale farm. She remembered Uncle Henry teaching her how to milk the Holstein. "Yes."

"_That's right._" Mombi remarked as Dorothy continued to stare forward. "You're going to continue making more good milk, more delicious cheese, and more fresh butter for me, won't you?"

Reminded of the butter and cheese-making processes she remembered both Aunt Em and Uncle Henry showing her how to do, Dorothy nodded very slowly. "Yes."

"_That's right._" Mombi gently hissed. "Because being a good, hard-working milkmaid is _all _you want to be for me, isn't it?"

One corner of Dorothy's lips moved upward. Despite herself, she found this notion strangely agreeable. She liked being able to help her Aunt and Uncle around the farm, after all. "Yes."

"_That's right._" Mombi hissed into the Kansas girl's left ear, and then hissed unto the right ear. "_That's right_. That's all you want to do. Work, work, work. You crave it. You _love _it. When you're not tending so obediently to your favorite four-horned cow, you're going to clean up all around my farmhouse. You'll prepare my breakfast. My lunch. My dinner. You'll revel in the toil and the trouble of your duties. Welcome every bead of sweat that moistens your smooth skin. The scent of work. The strain of work. You'll want more and _more _of it! Because being a good, hard-working milkmaid is _all _you want to be for me, isn't it?"

Dorothy slowly nodded, never once blinking her eyes. A slight smile was now on her lips. "Yes."

"_Gooood girl._" A wicked grin was now on Mombi's face. "_Gooood girl. _So ready and willing to fill those pails in front of the barn with water from the dark well near the edge of the forest to the west of here. So ready and willing to use that water to mop and clean the floors of my farmhouse. So ready and willing to wipe and to scrub every little inch of my farmhouse kitchen until it is completely spotless. I bet you can't _wait _to do all of that, don't you?"

Dorothy nodded once again. "Yes."

"_Thaaat's right._" The witch whispered into one ear. "_Goooood girl._" She then whispered into the other.

Mombi then raised a hand up near Dorothy's right ear and clicked its fingers sharply. The disguised Kansas girl rapidly blinked out of her trance, and then looked to the grinning witch.

"Now go on and get those pails filled. Quickly now!"

Dorothy performed a quick curtsey. "Yes, Miss Mombi!" She then headed out to the front of the barn, grabbing the handles of four pails…two in each hand…and hurrying down the road towards the well she had been instructed to get the water from.

As Mombi watched her milkmaid walk further and further from the barn, the four-horned cow clopped beside her. "What a devious little spell you've cast." The Holstein remarked.

"That was no magic spell at all, although the enchantment I laid upon her yesterday helped make what I just did easier." Mombi replied. "It's a form of suggestive hypnosis the Wicked Witch of the East was developing. She taught it to me before our little falling-out." The witch then turned her head to the curious cow. "Now you know why I had you whispering the exact words I told you to repeat to Rosemary as she slept. You'll need to do the same thing tonight, though, to reinforce the effect."

The four-horned cow nodded. "So you really didn't need an apprentice, did you?"

"Of course not." Mombi revealed as she rubbed at the four-horned cow's furry head, her eyes still on Rosemary. "Apprentices have a bad habit of being annoyingly dependent on their teachers. Since I no longer have that pathetic little burro of a boy, I figured Rosemary would make a suitable replacement." The witch then turned to look upon her prized cow. "If she ever screws up, I wouldn't mind having another cow joining you as you graze in the fields. You _do _like Rosemary, after all."

The cow smiled wickedly. "That's right."

* * *

><p>The recruiter, who had come from the southern Quadling region, blinked when she saw the newest recruit's known skills. "Pastry-making?"<p>

The female recruit nodded. "I know it's not much, but at least I can keep your soldiers well fed."

The recruiter, whose name was Trixie, nodded. "Well…can you cook _real _food? Doesn't make sense to feed an army nothing but sweets, after all."

"I should hope so." The recruit replied. "I mean, I _am _a cook…but does that make any difference? You want soldiers, don't you?"

Trixie smirked. "That's up to the General." She then looked to the person behind this female recruit as Trixie handed the page the cook had filled out to Lieutenant Spindle. "NEXT!"

Spindle gestured for the recruit to follow her, and the munchkin officer took the cook into an adjoining room, where the recruit found herself facing the General herself. Spindle handed Jinjur the cook's recruitment form, and after giving it a thorough examination, Jinjur turned her eyes to the cook herself, looking her up and down, and pacing slowly around her.

Once she was back in front of the cook, Jinjur fixed a stern stare upon the taller human woman. "So…what's _your_ issue with the king?"

A cold and accusing look was on the cook's face now. "That straw-stuffed idiot sent out armies from all four of the lands that make up Oz, and he _still _couldn't find my dishpan."

A knowing smile slowly formed on Jinjur's lips. She then extended a hand. "Welcome to the Citizens Army, Cayke." She then looked to Spindle. "Put her in the kitchen."

Cayke smirked. "I don't suppose _you _can help me find my dishpan?"

"Oh, don't worry." Jinjur assured. "Once we've overthrown the king, we'll get it for you."

Mopping floors. Tidying up the barn. A bowl of soup for breakfast. Making bread. And, of course, tending to the four-horned cow.

Such was Dorothy's first morning working as Mombi's servant and milkmaid.

All the work had the disguised Kansas girl visibly exhausted. She was constantly covered in sweat, and milk stains began showing in blotches on her purple uniform.

Yet, Dorothy felt compelled to keep working, as per her hypnotically-implanted suggestions.

The larger figure Mombi had given her didn't make things much easier, although she had been conditioned to welcome the strains that came with the work nevertheless. Welcome the sweat. Welcome the many jobs the old witch had tasked her to do, which she attended to without complaint, and which she accomplished in a manner that...disappointed Mombi. After all, the old crone had wanted to hear the girl complaining. Whining. Even screaming in frustration.

Mombi was given no such satisfaction. Still...having Rosemary do all the work would certainly keep the old witch in the lap of luxury for as long as she fed her new milkmaid the requisite breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When Dorothy gave the four-horned cow her morning milking, her touch was always as gentle as the Holstein preferred it to be, and she never needed to remind the milkmaid any further. By the time Mombi's servant began working the butter churn, it was almost time for lunch.

And as she worked the churn, she saw uniformed crowds begin to gather in front of the farmhouse. No doubt the army was beginning another training regimen. From what Dorothy remembered, the next day was supposed to be the time of the army's march on the Emerald City.

This, however, was what troubled the hard-working young milkmaid as she ate her lunch. She knew the idea of her being there in the first place was to confirm that Mombi was indeed spotted and was up to no good…

…but the mental conditioning held her where she was, doing the things she had been mesmerized into doing. Work she liked doing, and work she was certainly capable of doing, and being fed for it. Aside from her now being as large as she was, where was the wickedness in this?

Dorothy surmised that she would need at least a single night, assuming all of the work she needed to do was done. She deduced that she needed to work extra hard. Push herself. Work fast and to satisfaction despite her larger frame. She would then need to somehow send word to the Emerald City that Mombi was indeed up to…

…_was _she up to no good? The farm needed a lot of work, and it didn't seem fair that no one else was helping. No…she needed to stay. And work extra hard. Push herself. Please Mombi, so she could receive more of the work she liked doing.

Because being a good, hard-working milkmaid is all Dorothy wanted to be for Mombi.

And so she glanced, periodically, at the training procedures during her afternoon milking of the four-horned cow. As Dorothy worked, she caught the smell of fresh cookies as another uniformed recruit wearing a white apron began walking among the army aspirants carrying a bowl. She seemed to be making an offering to each of the recruits. Some accepted, while others did not.

As she got closer, Dorothy noticed that the recruit wearing the apron was indeed offering cookies, and she had a _lot_ of them in the bowl. She asked the same question, with a smile on her face, as she handed each of them out, one per trainee. "Victory cookie?"

The milkmaid was anxious to take one for herself…

…but when she got close to the milkmaid, Dorothy's hand was lightly slapped away, and the recruit frowned at the surprised milkmaid. "Don't be ridiculous. You're large enough as it is!" This earned the cookie lady a few giggles from the surrounding women as she stepped away from Dorothy.

Sighing regretfully, the disguised Kansas girl resumed milking the four-horned cow.

"Hmph. That wasn't very nice of her." The four-horned cow remarked. "You do so much more work around here compared to them. You're the best servant Mombi has ever had, did you know that?"

Dorothy's eyebrows raised in recognition of this revelation. "Really? She…she told you that?"

"Well, as far as _I'm _concerned, you are…and I've been on this farm ever since Mombi inherited it." The husky-voiced Holstein explained. "Like I had said, I never liked the boy that was here before you. Too much of a nervous wreck, and he's been serving Mombi long before you came."

Dorothy nodded. "He must have heard about all the terrible things she did in the past…but, it's funny. She doesn't seem so bad to me."

"Oh, Mombi definitely has a _very _nasty streak." The Holstein countered. "In fact, as I recall, she 'taught a lesson' to another boy that served her once. Punishment for a scare he once gave her using a pumpkin-headed wooden statue he built while she was sleeping one night. After the terrible argument that followed, he disappeared, and then that fraidy-cat servant replaced him. I don't know what happened to that first boy, but…well, that's none of my business." The cow then turned her head to Dorothy, smiling. "Those boys could never be a _good girl_, like you."

Dorothy smiled wide at this, and wrapped her arms around the cow's thick neck, hugging it tightly and affectionately in her appreciation. "Mmmm…thank you, Miss Cow."

The cow giggled. "Back to work now, milkmaid."


	10. X: The Third Day's Sun

The old munchkin farmer's name was Bolger, and it was his hands that crafted every inch of the very same scarecrow that he would later infuse with Doctor Pipt's Powder of Life in a bid to make him the most effective of all scarecrows, and who after engaging in an unexpected adventure with a lost farmgirl from Kansas would inherit the vacated throne of absolute power in Oz at the bidding of the land's former ruler.

It was to Bolger's frustration that he was unable to finish the replacement scarecrow the feisty, bespectacled munchkin from the Learning Guild had ordered him to complete, as the farmer had inconveniently run out of the necessary materials required to finish the job. But this was work for another day. With a glass of ice water nearby and a hammock to rest in, Bolger was content to be as lazy as he wished, since most of the more important work was done and he still had the benefit of that little deal he had made with the crow king.

Besides, the old farmer thought to himself, it's not like that huffy little munchkin would ever come back to hurry him along again, right? He smiled in self-satisfaction as he brought the large ice water glass to his lips…

*BOM* *BOM*

Bolger's eyes went wide as he heard the raps at the door of his farmhouse. He couldn't believe it! He decided to stay still and keep quiet. Perhaps that annoying little tutor would surmise that no one was home…

*BOM* *BOM*

Bolger had been holding his breath. His head shook and he went cross-eyed. It seemed as if his face was about to turn blue from the strain…

*BOM* *BOM* *BOM*

The knocks were getting progressively louder. Unable to hold his breath any longer, the irritated munchkin farmer loudly released his breath, gulping in fresh new breaths as he angrily dismounted from his hammock and stomped over to the front door to rip it open.

"I RAN OUT OF MATERIALS! THERE'S NOTHING I CAN…" Bolger stopped, seeing the purple-outfitted human woman with the patchwork-quilted skirt standing at her door. It was someone the old farmer recognized from past visits. "…oh! It's you! Sorry…thought you were someone else. What in the name of the great and powerful Wizard of Oz brought you all the way out _here_, Millicent?"

He was at least thankful that there would be no inquiries about the unfinished…

"I noticed you haven't replaced your scarecrow, Bolger." Millicent began.

The visibly irritated munchkin farmer let out a long and frustrated sigh.

Millicent, however, continued. "You must miss the one that was on there before."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. My, uh, crown prince of scarecrows." Bolger mused. "He's obviously having a hard time keeping his promises."

Millicent tilted her head curiously. "What do you mean?"

The old munchkin then explained of his creation's spoken vow to keep vigil over his crops as gratitude for bringing him to life, although he did not reveal that it was Doctor Pipt's magic powder that provided the stuffed monarch's newfound self-sentience. "I'll admit he started doubting that he _could _keep his promise, since the crows had started getting used to him and his, uh, scare tactics…I guess that's why he wanted that brain he got."

"But a promise is a promise, isn't it?" Millicent reminded. "He swore to watch over your crops! Did he say he was going to watch over them for a certain period of time?"

Bolger shook his head. "He just made that promise."

Millicent crossed her arms in front of her chest pointedly. "Then he should never have left, should he? _Get him back, _Bolger. Put him back on the nail of that post, and don't let him out of your sight! March right on over to the Emerald City and remind him he has a promise to keep!"

Bolger bit his lower lip. "But…he…he's the King of Oz."

Millicent's hands now went to her hips as she glowered at the smaller farmer. "As ordained by a charlatan wizard!" She then reminded.

The munchkin now had a confused look. "A…a _what _wizard?"

Millicent rolled her eyes in irritation. "Meaning he was a fraud! A trickster! A _fake!_ As in he did _not _know any _real _magic!"

"But…but…that big head…all those fires…that, that booming voice…"

The larger woman sighed aloud. "He used a _machine, _Bolger! Some confounded contraption he had the people of Oz help him build so he could drive the wicked witches of the east and the west away from the Emerald City years ago! He was nothing but smoke and mirrors! I was surprised those witches _fell _for that whole, pathetic act in the _first_ place!"

Bolger shrugged. "Well…not like it matters anymore. I mean…the Wizard's gone now, but…I don't think too many people are going to appreciate my taking away their king!"

Millicent arched an eyebrow. "Unless someone far more qualified to rule were to assume control shortly after you took him out of the city?"

Bolger's troubled gaze lowered to the floor. It was a lot for the old munchkin farmer to take in all at once. As much as Millicent had made many valid points, the farmer at least knew that through his creation's exploits with the lost farmgirl, Bolger's straw-stuffed creation had earned himself a valuable prize…a brain…which the farmer knew the Scarecrow greatly desired. With a brain, after all, his creation could do more than just while away the hours conferring with the flowers. The Scarecrow could figure out new ways of keeping those blasted crows away from Bolger's crops, and the old farmer would no longer need to pay off the greedy crow king just to keep those black-feathered marauders away.

In the next moment, Bolger's expression was one of solid and firm conviction. He knew just what he was going to say, after weighing out the variables. After using his own munchkin brain. As much as he wanted to sit and think some more, Millicent was beginning to look a bit impatient.

Raising his eyes up to meet Millicent's once again, he finally responded.

* * *

><p>The hooting of an owl could be heard as the evening's full moon illuminated the many small camps that had been built in front of the farmhouse. Farming implements which could double as weapons had been stockpiled near a freshly-extinguished campfire in the center of the many tents that had been erected for the army's use. Some of the trained soldiers slept outside of their tents, while others preferred the seclusion provided by the triangular canvas coverings, which were logically wide enough for the women to take shelter in.<p>

Once Dorothy had yet another day's supply of bread, cheese, and butter created and prepared for Mombi's use, and all the chores the old witch had tasked her to do was completed, the disguised…and heavily panting…Kansas girl had only enough energy to drift over to the pile of thick, loose hay she had arranged to form a makeshift bed, and collapse her tired-out, rubenesque frame upon it. In the next hour, Dorothy quickly lapsed into unconsciousness.

The four-horned cow, who had opted to eat a few extra rips of grass from the fields, saw the milkmaid drift exhaustedly into the barn, and began slowly clopping over to it so she could begin whispering into Dorothy's ear as she slept, repeating the exact words Mombi had instructed the Holstein to recite so that Mombi's hypnotic hold on her new servant could be reinforced.

Although the bovine accomplice was beginning to warm to the idea of having another cow in the fields with her. The four-horned cow wondered if she could try whispering something a little more…incriminating. Something to compel Rosemary to make a blunder so catastrophic that Mombi would follow through on her warning, and Rosemary would be given a pair of horns, a ropy tail, hooved hands and feet, a set of udders, and a black-spotted hide all her own.

Rosemary sounded like a fitting name for a cow anyway.

As the four-horned cow neared the barn's entrance, however, she caught a scent which was strangely appetizing to her. From behind the left edge of the barn stepped a familiar-looking recruit. The Holstein recognized this one to be the new cook who had passed around the "victory cookies" everyone had enjoyed. In both hands, she held a bundle of hay that had been packed into a cube-like shape. The scent the cow had picked up was very strong on this cube.

The cook smiled as she saw the cow clop over, and she held the 10' x 10' cube out to the approaching Holstein. "Victory hay?"

The cow stopped, a wary look on her horned face. "So late in the evening? Why couldn't I have gotten this earlier?"

"This is from Millicent, not me." The cook revealed. "I was told to give this right to you. Something about thanking you for the work you've been doing with Rosemary."

The Holstein nodded after a quiet moment of wary consideration. After all…it was not as if Mombi was incapable of rewarding those who were loyal to her, and the old witch had provided rewards in extra hay a couple of times in the past. This cube, however, looked…and smelled…especially appetizing.

"Hmmm…how…" She began clopping hungrily towards the cube now. "…nice of her…"

The cook tossed the cube a short distance from the barn as the hooting owl observed from a perch on the barn's roof. The cow moved quickly towards it and began ripping mouthfuls of the packed hay from the cube, making quiet yummy noises as she did.

As the cow began to eat the tainted hay, Cayke stepped towards Dorothy's sleeping form and began to shake her slumbering frame. "Dorothy!" She hissed. "Dorothy…wake up!"

Dorothy frowned as she began to stir. Her larger body laying on its side, she rolled to her back and looked upon the blur of the figure kneeling over her through half-lidded eyes. "W…whuuhhh…"

Cayke shook at the disguised girl's body a little more. "Dorothy, _please _wake up!" She hissed again. Knowing the exhausted champion of Oz was at least stirred from any semblance of deep sleep, the cook pulled the larger girl's upper body to a sitting position, although her head had drooped down wearily.

Cayke lifted Dorothy's head and gave it a few light slaps. Although her breathing was still slow, the cook could at least see a pair of eyes peeking through partially-closed eyelids. Her mouth was slightly open, as well, with slow inhales and exhales emanating from it.

"Can you hear me, Dorothy?" Cayke asked. "Nod your head up and down if you do."

After a moment, Dorothy's head nodded slightly, although her eyes remained half-lidded.

"I know you're tired, but try to listen." Cayke kept her voice as quiet as she could, although she needed a bit of volume so that Dorothy could comprehend her words, and she positioned her head close to the sleepy Kansas girl's ear every time she spoke. "My name is Cayke. The Scarecrow sent me here to spy on the army, but he and his head maid also asked me to look for _you._ I have something for you, too. Something Lo helped me prepare before I arrived."

From a round cloth bag attached to her belt, which hung behind her, Cayke produced a fresh, warm chocolate chip cookie. "I'm sorry I was so rude before. I had to keep up appearances." She then held the cookie in front of Dorothy's weary eyes. "Think of this as my way of making amends. Now its effects aren't going to be immediate, but I'm certain that by the morning, your head should be a little more clear."

The first bite Dorothy took was evidence enough that Cayke was the best cookie cook in the entire land of Oz. It was unquestionably the most delicious cookie the disguised heroine from Kansas had ever tasted. Although Dorothy remained very tired, the taste was so pleasing, she devoured the rest of it in the next moment.

Cayke smiled, planting a kiss on the sleepy milkmaid's forehead. "Looks like my reputation is secure, even without the dishpan. Now listen, Dorothy…there's more I need to tell you. It's very important." Cayke hissed this next part right into Dorothy's ear. "_I think I found Glinda._"

Dorothy's eyes opened a little more. "Wh…wheerre..?" She asked wearily.

"Mombi has a _second _house not far from here." Cayke then revealed. "It's a house she uses when she's disguised as that Millicent Thrombey woman. Jinjur's officers watch over it _very_ closely and they don't let _anyone_ down in its basement. I think that's where Glinda is being kept!"

Dorothy's weary voice sounded troubled as she spoke. "Sss…ssso…sssso _tiiiired_…worrrk…"

But Cayke continued to speak. "I'm gonna go give that basement another try. Listen…no matter _what _happens at the Emerald City tomorrow, you've got to try and look for two things Lo will need to break the spell on Glinda. The first is a six-leaf clover, the other is a quarter-pint of water from that dark well down the road from here. Try to remember that! A quarter-pint of water from the well, and a six-leaf clover! Once you have them, get yourself to Munchkinland and look for Lo. She'll be waiting for you. Try to stay away from that four-horned cow, too. Don't wake her." Cayke then gave Dorothy's forehead another kiss. "I'll try to get back to you if I get lucky tonight!"

After laying Dorothy back upon the bed of hay, Cayke raced away as quietly as she could, leaving the exhausted Kansas girl looking a little alarmed for what she had just heard.

Dorothy reached out for the cookie cook as she disappeared in the distance. "No…please…" She tried to lift herself back up, but the effort was too much for her weary bones. "…C…Cayke…"

In the next moment, she passed out completely upon the mass of hay, lapsing once again into a deep slumber…

…although her evening's rest was nowhere near the kind of unconsciousness Lo's sleep potion, which the munchkin witch had used to taint the cube of hay, had inflicted upon the four-horned cow. In the absence of anyone or anything giving her a solid round of nudging, the Holstein would remain fast asleep for _days_.

Once Dorothy was asleep and Cayke was well out of sight, the owl perched on the barn's roof launched herself up and away, soaring and flapping in the direction of the Emerald City.

This particular owl was confident, after all, that the next day could be a _very_ rewarding day for Jinjur's army.

* * *

><p>As the sun began to illuminate the sky in lighter hues of blue, Private Omby Amby hurried over to the gate, confirming as he sprinted that the arguing was still going on. And on. And on.<p>

The gate guardian's voice could of course be heard, but the second voice sounded older. It also had a munchkin's childlike pitch. Once Omby got to the door, he slammed his body against it, opening it wider as he looked down at the feisty old munchkin farmer standing there.

"What is the meaning of this racket?" Omby asked, in a very authoritative and intimidating tone. "Businesses in the city aren't open yet, and people are still sleeping!"

"I'm here to see the king!" The farmer replied, frowning up at Omby. "He used to be my scarecrow! I'm not leaving here until I get to see him, and I know he _never_ sleeps!"

The Private blinked, eyes widening in surprise, in recognition of this, having heard about how the Scarecrow had been created, and who was behind the stuffed monarch's creation. "You're Bolger?"

"Get me over to where he is, or bring him here!" Bolger huffed. "A promise is a promise!"

After a moment of quiet consideration, Omby turned his head back to the small-statured farmer. "Wait here." He firmly commanded. The Private then headed back over to the royal palace as fast as he could.

About thirty idle minutes later, Omby was spotted heading back to the gate. Another familiar presence…this one with a crown stitched to his burlap head…was right behind him.

Bolger crossed his arms in front of him, smirking, as the Scarecrow stepped over to the old munchkin with a somewhat crestfallen look on his face. "Uh…l…long time, no see, Mister Bolger."

"Day and night, you said." Bolger began, in a very accusing tone. "Day and night! You _swore _to watch over my fields!" He then wagged a finger to him in emphasis. "Do you know what I've had to do to keep those confounded crows from raiding my crops since you left me?"

Omby arched an eyebrow hearing the old farmer's angry tone. "Might I remind you that you are addressing the…"

"_I'm addressing __my__scarecrow, king or not! Now you stay __out__of this!_" Bolger yelled to the green-clad soldier. He then turned back to his crestfallen creation. "I've had to pay the crow king in crops just to keep my fields safe from their mischief! Sooner or later, I'll have no more crops left to pay! And _then, _where will I be? I can't even build a replacement scarecrow because I ran out of _materials!_"

The Scarecrow lowered his head. Under the weight of everything he had just heard, he now felt ashamed to have a crown stitched to his head to begin with. He now regretted being ordained by the Wizard to succeed him as the land's ruler.

Bolger, however, continued his onslaught, wagging a finger emphatically. "You should be _ashamed _of yourself, breaking your promise to me! Well, you've left me no choice but to enforce the terms of the Wizard's _writ of ownership!_" The old munchkin then produced a large, yellowed sheet of written paragraphs, all of it beneath larger, stylish letters at the top of the page spelling out the words WRIT OF OWNERSHIP. Two lines beneath the stream of finely-organized and numbered paragraphs had a stamp mark on one, while the line next to it displayed a written signature.

Private Omby took a look at this writ and quirked an eyebrow as he looked back up to the irate farmer. "Mr. Bolger…you're presenting official documentation that was only valid during the reign of the Wizard of Oz. As I'm sure you're aware, he is no lo…"

"Oh, this documentation is still valid, all right!" Bolger quickly countered. He then pointed to one of the paragraphs on the writ. "Paragraph 17 clearly states that ownership of a creation…such as _my scarecrow_…may be enforced even in the event of a change in sovereign rulership! Which means that no matter _who _is in charge of the land of Oz, that scarecrow is still rightfully mine…and if I want to return him to his old post, none of you can stop me!"

Omby's expression now looked distraught. "But…who will succeed him? The Wizard made him our ruler before he left!"

"Bah! A blind judgment made by a charlatan! A fake! A _con artist!_" Bolger then grabbed the Scarecrow's arm and began to pull him towards the city gates. "Why don't _you _become the land's King, Private? Until you can find someone better, at least…personally, I don't care either way!"

As the Scarecrow was only made of straw and hardly had any significant mass, Bolger was able to tug him quite forcefully behind him despite the miserable look he had on his burlap face. Omby…and the soldiers flanking him…just stared upon the sight of the munchkin farmer pulling their ordained king past, and beyond, the city gates…

…but Omby ultimately judged that their loyalty should be to this ordained king regardless of some silly writ. Now holding his rifle in both hands, he began his defiant approach towards the farmer, his fellow soldiers following behind Omby in solidarity.

But the sight of Bolger dragging the Scarecrow out of the city was the signal Jinjur and her army waited for. Drawing and raising her sword high, she then pointed it towards the city gate.

"CHAAAAAAARGE!" She roared.

Loud war cries filled the air as Jinjur's horde of female soldiers surged upon the gate, each of them holding potentially lethal farming implements, if not other makeshift weapons blunt and otherwise. Once Omby and the two soldiers behind him reached the gate opening, they lurched back at the sight of the charging army.

The Scarecrow's eyes boggled seeing the citizens army begin their attack. He was doubly horrified that Bolger didn't seem to care, which might very well mean that he could have been an accomplice to the invasion to begin with.

But that didn't make sense! Bolger had always been a sensible and often kind farmer, and his only real failing was that he had been occasionally lazy. He even had respect for the Wizard for at least providing moral-minded direction to the people of Oz. Indeed, in his youth, Bolger was among the farmers who provided the many scarecrows to assist in the Wizard's gambit to drive away the wicked witches years ago.

At the same time, however, the Scarecrow did, in fact, break a promise he had made to this farmer, and so Bolger had all the justification in the world to be so angry, especially after he had made that revelation regarding his deal with the crow king. Ever since becoming the king of Oz…indeed, ever since meeting Dorothy Gale…he seemed to have completely forgotten the very reason for his existence.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that he was supposed to be a scarecrow.

* * *

><p>Ojo, the Woozy, and the glass cat hid themselves as Jinjur's army began their surprise assault on the city. The invading forces had briefly paused, seeing Private Omby holding his rifle out towards them and apparently preparing to fire…<p>

…but General Jinjur called his bluff all too easily, attacking and subduing the soldier without incurring so much as a single injury nor bruise. With the fall of the wicked witches of the east and the west, Omby Amby did not feel the need to keep his rifle loaded. He was also skeptical of the threat posed by the citizens army, as well. He didn't think they would actually carry out Jinjur's apparent intentions.

Ojo and his companions witnessed the whole thing before securing themselves back in their hiding spots. Other soldiers surged out to try and stem the tide, but they were beaten down by various farming implements and weapons with brutal, but non-lethal tenacity.

The munchkin boy looked to his two companions…both of them better concealed in dark shadows compared to Ojo…as the battles raged. "What're we gonna do?" He hissed.

"I could try my terrifying bellow of rage," The Woozy quietly suggested. "but there aren't too many munchkins in that army. It may not work…and they could capture me, and you'd lose the hairs you'd need from my tail. Besides…you still owe me a cheese sandwich."

"I know!" the cat then hissed. "I have the _perfect_ plan!"

Ojo smiled. "Great! Let's hear it!"

"Stay here, and watch my pink brains work!" the cat replied.

Ojo and the Woozy shut their eyes, sighing in exasperation.

Eventually, the sounds of fighting began to die down, and Jinjur's next words were shouted for all within the city to hear moments after the fighting ended. "_Citizens of the Emerald__City! Your king has abandoned you! From this day forward, I, General Jinjur, am the acting ruler of the land of Oz until a more qualified leader steps forth to succeed me! Cooperate, and you will not be harmed! Resist, and you will be permanently __banished__from the city!_"

At this point, Ojo felt a feminine hand grab his shoulder from behind, startling the munchkin boy. "Come on, kid. On your feet. Let's go. Don't resist." The uniformed soldier remarked as he pulled the boy up.

Fortunately, however, Ojo was the _only _one the soldier of the citizens army had spotted, as the Woozy and the cat were so deep in the shadows of their hiding place that they remained unseen.

Other non-combatants, however, who attempted to hide were not so lucky, and they were herded out to the large space beneath a high balcony of the royal palace. It was from here that Jinjur had been speaking, and Ojo saw a very crestfallen Jellia Jamb...still in her nightgown…standing next to the munchkin General as she continued to speak.

"Let me first assure everyone that I have no intention of making any serious changes to the way you all live your lives." Jinjur coasted her gaze down along the sea of worried and scared faces below, munchkin and otherwise, as she spoke. "I remind you again that this is a temporary action, until such a time when a better leader steps forward. Someone more…flesh and blood. Someone who was not ordained to be a leader by a fake Wizard."

A young male voice in the crowd cried out defiantly at this. "But I _miss_ the Wizard of Oz!"

A majority of the voices in the crowd cried out in agreement. Another, older male voice yelled out. "What makes _you _think you have better brains than the Scarecrow?"

Another, more familiar, voice then spoke out, and this voice was revealed to be Philomena, the Headmistress of the Learning Guild. "Indeed! Who will be the one to choose this 'better leader'? Us? Or _you?_" Another outburst from the crowds nodded in shared curiosity for this notion. Jellia couldn't help but betray a little smile over these outbursts.

Jinjur, however, had gotten a little more angry and frustrated with every one of these outbursts, and she roared her responses in a fit of rage and irritation. "STOP! ENOUGH!" The crowd went fearfully quiet, seeing her expression of rage, and she first glowered down to the young boy. "_Life isn't always fair!_" Her angry gaze then went to the older male. "My brains are _flesh and blood _compared to that…that bunch of hay in the burlap sack of that _puppet!_" She then fixed her furious gaze on Philomena. "And if I gave all of _you _the right to choose another leader, you'd just put _another _puppet on the throne!"

"That still doesn't make you right, shorty!" came another female voice, which happened to come from the glass cat, who along with the Woozy was still well-concealed in a different hiding spot.

This outburst, however, put Jinjur over the edge. She hated..._hated_...being called 'shorty'. "Who said that? _Who said that?_" The General scanned the crowd, all of whom shook their heads in denial, or pointed in the general direction of the voice. "You'd better show yourself, or…or…" Jinjur then shot her finger towards Philomena. "…or I will _banish _that munchkin from the city! _Permanently!_"

Gasps filled the air around the Headmistress, who defiantly stood her ground in spite of the threat, crossing her arms in front of her. "Hmph! My natural home has always been Munchkinland _anyway_." She then stuck her tongue out at Jinjur, who was still waiting for the offender to speak out and identify herself.

All the General got, however, was silence in the tense moment that followed.

"Time's up!" Jinjur then fired her finger out towards the Headmistress once again. "You are hereby _forbidden _to leave the Emerald City, Philomena! I sentence you to _invisibility! _If anyone gives that munchkin any manner of food or drink, provides that munchkin with any shelter other than the open streets, or even _speaks _to that munchkin, they will be _banished from this city! PERMANENTLY!_"

A look of shock was now on Philomena's face as her hands flew to her mouth. Even Ojo was aghast. He knew it was the glass cat that made the outburst, and he had surmised that she had taken it upon herself…in her own way…to help keep the Woozy out of sight for the time being. He hoped that she would be able to somehow get him out of the city and over to Munchkinland.

Jinjur continued to scowl down upon the crowds. "Next time, it might be you! _Don't test me! _I am _not _in the mood!"

Jellia had an overwhelming urge to throw caution to the winds and attack Jinjur from behind as she spoke, but she had two of Jinjur's munchkin officers flanking her. The move would have been entirely futile.

"Until such a time as we can establish a citizen identification system, I will have my officers at each of the four gates leading into the city." Jinjur announced. "Starting tomorrow morning, not one person, coming or going, will escape their notice! You will state your business, perform that business, and then leave! No exceptions!" A chorus of gasps and worried mutters was Jinjur's only reply. "That is all!"

With a gesture to the soldiers watching Jellia, Jinjur finally stepped away from the balcony. The eyes of the conquering soldiers were on the crowds now, making sure no one paid any attention to Philomena, who was already trying to get someone to speak with her. All she got was fearful glances.

Ojo, however, had stepped out of sight once again. His eyes were on Philomena, and they never left her. There was no way he was going to let this munchkin suffer as Jinjur had indicated.

Philomena was on the verge of tears by the time she wandered away from the crowds that continued to ignore her. Ojo finally picked a moment in which he burst from his current hiding spot, and grabbed the Headmistress before any of the soldiers noticed them. He quickly pulled Philomena to the dark shadows of another nearby hiding place.

"What are you _doing_, dear boy?" Philomena quietly whispered. "I don't want you to…"

"_Shhh! _Don't worry about me. I'm getting you _out _of the city." Ojo defiantly hissed back. "You are _not _staying here!"

Both then heard a nearby soldier's voice speak. "Where did Philomena go?"

Related mutters from other soldiers began to spread. Philomena quickly directed her head to the defiant boy. "Can I expect you to be here later tonight? With a bit of food and drink? I…I have to keep up appearances for the moment."

Ojo quickly thought on this, and ultimately nodded his head. "Okay. I'll have something for you. Including a plan to get you out. Be here around 8pm tonight!" He hissed back quickly

Philomena hurried out, looking entirely despondent. Three soldiers saw her, and called out to the others that the condemned munchkin had been found, no doubt wandering briefly out of sight. The building sense of alarm died quickly.

From then on, Philomena continued to wander the streets of the conquered city in plain sight, her head lowered lamentedly. Not a soul spoke to her, nor even acknowledged her existence as she moved, and those who defiantly attempted were swiftly advised otherwise.

But the Headmistress was at least relieved he had one person in the city who dared, by choice, to breach the enforced veil that was now her curse.


	11. XI: Day of the Dolls

Dorothy once again stirred from her deep sleep as the rays of the morning sunlight shined directly on her face, and she squinted her eyes shut as she lifted her rubenesque frame up from the bed of hay.

All at once, so many thoughts hit her. None of which had anything at all to do with the responsibilities Mombi had inflicted on the disguised Kansas girl through the deceptive witch's hypnotic suggestions. Dorothy remembered the six-leaf clover. The quarter-pint of water from the dark well. The citizens army and their impending march on the Emerald City.

In her haze, however, it had slipped her mind as to _when _that army was supposed to begin their attack.

She did, however, remember who she was supposed to see once she had what was asked of her. Dorothy was to head right on over to Munchkinland no matter what and find Lo, the kind old witch who had helped her with a flawless…but risky…munchkin disguise.

Once the milkmaid was back on her feet, she noticed that the stall the four-horned cow was in was not occupied, and when Dorothy peeked out upon the fields, she noticed that the four-horned cow was still in a deep slumber there. As she had been instructed to ignore the cow, she began to think on what her first move should be as she performed a lingering aspect of Mombi's conditioning, which was to sweep around the barn.

But there was a problem, wasn't there? If the cow was asleep, how was she going to make the butter, and the milk, and the cheese. It was important, after all, for Dorothy to be a good, hard-working…

The disguised Kansas girl blinked, shaking her head as she threw the broom down. "What am I _doing_…?" She hissed to herself as the young milkmaid stepped outside the barn, grabbing a single large wooden bucket, and began to head towards the dark well. Yes, she thought to herself. As much as she needed to get the water, it would double as a weapon against Mombi if she ever caught her milkmaid outside of the routines the old witch inflicted on her.

Mombi was, after all, a most wicked witch. Just like the Wicked Witch of the West.

Hurrying down to the well, she sent the bucket down into its murky depths, and then cranked up a full bucket of the desired water. Dumping some of its excess back down the well, she lifted it and turned around…

…and some of the bucket's contents spilled upon Dorothy in her frightful reaction as she saw that Cayke was standing just behind her. "Calm down! It's only me! Remember? I said I'd try to get back to you."

Dorothy nodded. "Did you find Glinda?"

Cayke looked a little disappointed. "Seems they were watching her all through the night…but _no one _is there now, so it's the perfect opportunity to get down in that basement and confirm that she's down there." She then gestured to the milkmaid. "Come on now, follow me!"

Seeing that she still had plenty of the water in her bucket, she hefted it along as the disguised Kansas girl followed Cayke in her hurried steps towards this 'second home' Mombi was using.

"What about the army?" Dorothy asked, in between tired puffs of her breath. "When are they gonna attack?"

"Don't waste your energy on talking!" Cayke shot back. "Just follow me!"

Indeed, Dorothy had to concentrate on making sure none of the contents of the bucket spilled out as she moved as best as she could behind the cookie cook. They eventually reached a gillikin village, and traveled along the outskirts of the populated area until they finally reached a seemingly idle and deceptively normal gillikin household.

Cayke led the tired Kansas girl around to the back of the house, where a back door was discovered. "Best to head in from behind. We don't know if Mombi is actually _home_."

Dorothy nodded. "Listen…we need to see if we can find a six-leaf clover here, too. I figure since she's a witch…"

Cayke nodded at this, somewhat dismissively. "Yes, yes." She then quietly and carefully opened the back door, hoping no creaks would betray their presence. Conveniently, there was a pair of staircase paths. One leading upstairs to the house's kitchen, and another leading down to the house's basement. She then gestured for Dorothy to go in. "You're the one with the water, after all. Just throw it right on that witch if you see her!"

Dorothy nodded. After Mombi was dispatched, she could head back and get more from the well, after all. More than enough to get Lo what she needed, rather than what Mombi needed Dorothy to get for mop water.

Although her steps were heavy ones given her altered figure, the slight creaks on the wooden stairs did not result in alerted voices or unexpected presences exposing themselves. After descending down eight steps as carefully as she could, her gillikin shoes finally found the hard basement ground.

It seemed immediately apparent to Dorothy, as she moved carefully into the dimly-lit basement interior, that Mombi had a thing for patchwork quilts. They were attached to clotheslines, thereby effectively making an effort to mask something important that was hidden here.

Dorothy's progress continued to be slow and careful as she made her way past the large patchwork sheets impeding her forward advance. She nearly got wrapped up in one such sheet as she moved, but Dorothy was able to slip out of this predicament despite the slight spillage of water from the bucket.

And then, she finally saw something other than a patchwork quilt in front of her, and there was no doubt that despite the fact that there was yet _another _patchwork quilt covering this shape, she had to conclude that there was a statue hidden beneath it.

Placing the bucket carefully on the floor, she cautiously moved to the quilt covering the object, and pulled it off.

Dorothy's eyes went wide in her shock over what she saw, although a part of her was puzzled before she realized she had walked into a trap.

She was, after all, gazing at a marble visage of Cayke herself.

Her face and body was frozen into a shocked, open-mouthed, and wide-eyed expression, and a shocked pose, her arms outstretched in fear.

Dorothy turned around, lifting the bucket of water in so doing…

…and saw Cayke lift the last patchwork quilt to give herself passage. Her grinning form, however, began to slowly shift into the more familiar visage of the very same Mombi who had attempted to enslave Dorothy.

Defiantly, the rubenesque Kansas girl threw the bucket's watery contents right on the witch as she changed, and the old crone let out a terrible scream as she collapsed to the ground, writhing and wailing. "AAAAAHH! NOOO! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! I'M BURNING! I'M BUUUURRRNINNNNNGG!"

As the old crone howled in agony, Dorothy attempted to retrace her steps in her wild zeal to escape…

…but the patchwork quilt she tried to get past suddenly came alive and began to wrap around the Kansas girl! As she fruitlessly struggled against not one, but _two _incapacitating quilts, the second from an adjoining quilt that suddenly came alive, the howls and screams of agony then lapsed into a fit of wicked laughter, which she knew to be Mombi's!

Although she could not see anything in her fruitless attempts to escape her sudden imprisonment, Dorothy felt a pair of shaky hands roll the writhing patchwork around until she was face up on the floor. She heard every word of her voice as the witch began gloating.

"Oh, I must have forgotten! You didn't _burn _the west witch, you _melted _her, didn't you?" Mombi mused wickedly. "Well, just because _she _had that curse on her doesn't mean _all _witches in Oz melt when they're hit with water, you silly girl!" Mombi then openly mocked Dorothy's sense of sorrow, feigning a crying fit. "'Ohhh! Poor me! I can't see anything! It's so hard to _breathe _in here! Don't turn me into a statue! What about my city? What about my…my _scaaarreecroooooowww?_' Oh, boo-hoo-hoo! Mumble-mumble-mumble!"

Mombi then dropped herself upon the writhing patchwork quilt, scowling angrily as she began tracing odd shapes and sigils upon the quilt with a wrinkled finger. "You've got some nerve deceiving me, _Dorothy!_" Mombi growled angrily. "But I already have what I want! The Scarecrow back on Bolger's farm post where he belongs, and a perfect _puppet _of a munchkin General for me to _rule_ the land of Oz through! But…what am I to do with _you, _my dear? I don't have enough liquid of petrifaction to make _another_ statue, and I certainly can't trust you to keep serving me as my milkmaid…" Mombi then got back to her feet, the traced sigils and shapes glowing on the writhing patchwork. She then raised her hands up in front of her, the fingers crooked as if they were claws. "…but if you're so loyal to that stuffed pile of brainless straw, then maybe you should be _just like him!_ _LEVITAS!_"

The writhing quilt rose up and hovered just above the floor as Mombi fished a hand into a pocket of her robes, throwing a pair of purple, elbow-length evening gloves and a pair of large, round silver buttons over to the hovering quilt, its prisoner continuing to mumble fearfully. As she fished through another pocket, she began to speak the words of yet another nefarious enchantment…

_Flesh and bone all cotton-puffed!_

_Skin to patchwork freshly-stuffed!_

The mumbling now turned to groaning as bulges began to expand and dissolve in large and small bubbles around the writhing patchwork shape. Mombi pulled the contents of her other pocket and tossed a handful of brown knitting yarn over to the floating shape, where the many strands of yarn began to fly and float around the writhing shape alongside the pair of buttons and the gloves as the old witch finished the words of her spell…

_Eyes like buttons, hair like string,  
><em>_CHANGE this girl from human to THING!_

The patchwork shape now spun very fast, the yarn and the buttons finding places upon the shape as it began to glow. Magic energies then exploded from the patchwork shape with a loud BANG, and the shape fell to the floor.

Only when it hit the ground, the shape now had arms and legs, and the gloves Mombi had cast upon the shape were now where the hands of a human being should be. The brown knitting yarn was now upon the shape's head, forming a full head of hair styled into a pair of braided pigtails.

"I'll just leave you to your fate…" Mombi gloated as she grabbed the unmoving human shape and headed for the back door. "…and if I ever see you around here again, I _will _burn you, patchwork girl! Now _get out of here!_"

Mombi then tossed the patchwork human she had created out the back door as hard as she could. The shape landed a few feet away from the back door.

"And don't let me catch you looking for six-leaf clovers around here, either! _You won't find any!_" Mombi roared. She then slammed the back door shut.

The shock to Dorothy's system logically wreaked havoc on her senses upon receipt of the enchantment, but she was finally able to regain them enough to move a limb.

The patchwork form's arm moved in kind.

The other arm moved, and then a leg. And then, the other leg.

Dorothy felt very, very strange as she began to rise to her feet…which were now, effectively, her gillikin shoes. She rose up slowly, fearing the very notion of looking upon herself.

However, since she could no longer close eyes which were now a pair of large, round buttons, she had no choice but to see what dreadful new form Mombi had inflicted upon her.

She saw that she was just what Mombi had called her. Quite literally, a girl made entirely of large patchwork quilt sheets stuffed with cotton, and each of the patches were a different color. She still had a mouth, and she was able to feel a nose area…but the senses of taste and smell were now gone. Further, she found that she could no longer breathe, although she no longer had the need to. Feeling at the sides of her head, she confirmed the presence of a pair of thin discs which now served as her ears. Feeling at her hair, she indeed felt the consistency and texture of knitting yarn, and confirmed this to be her own hair by bringing one of the braided lengths before her button eyes. Seeing her hands and forearms themselves to quite literally be a pair of cotton-stuffed purple evening gloves also added to the expression of shock on her patchwork face. Looking down, Dorothy saw that she had a skirted dress made of the same patchwork quilt design, although the cotton of her legs were still covered in the white and purple-striped stockings of her previous outfit.

As she was lingering on her appearance, however, she suddenly saw a spurt of flame ignite beside her, and she let out an audible gasp, which was in her own, unaltered voice. Whipping her now-stuffed head to glance behind her, she saw Mombi standing there with an enranged expression.

"GO BLUBBER ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE TO YOU _SOMEWHERE ELSE,_ RAG DOLL!" The wicked old crone roared.

With a squeal of fear, Dorothy raced away from the gillikin house, practically stumbling awkwardly away as fast as she could as she was not at all used to having a patchwork quilt-covered body filled with cotton. She continued to distance herself from the house, while at the same time avoiding the population of the nearby gillikin village.

Dorothy naturally did not want anyone seeing what had happened to her.

Once the house was well out of sight, the patchwork girl's wild, awkward, and frightful pace slowed, and Dorothy noticed she didn't feel at all tired. Indeed, she felt like she could keep going and going…but with the logic that no one was following her, she slowed to more of a walking speed, her head down in her complete despair.

Rubbing the gloves of her hands along the surface of the patchwork, Dorothy at least confirmed that she was still capable of feeling things, and she was still able to hear everything around her.

She still, however, had no idea what her face looked like, but feeling at her eyes confirmed that they were indeed buttons.

As much as she had the human urge to cry, she knew that was impossible now, but she was certainly feeling the despair…

…but it was something she at least knew one person, in all of Oz, could help her come to grips with before making an effort to undo the various misfortunes that had suddenly made a mess of the land of Oz.

Nothing else mattered for the moment. Remembering what Mombi had said about her very dear friend 'being returned to his post', she resolved to head back to Munchkinland, and find that farmer's farm.

The logic was obvious to the lingering intellect of the champion of Oz. Even if her once-human brain was now nothing more than a mass of cotton now.

Find the farm, find the Scarecrow.

* * *

><p>"GO BLUBBER ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE TO YOU <em>SOMEWHERE ELSE,<em> RAG DOLL!" The wicked old crone roared.

With a squeal of fear, Dorothy raced away from the gillikin house, practically stumbling awkwardly away. Mombi cackled mercilessly, watching her move in such an amusing fashion. The old crone felt an overwhelming sense of pride over the fact that she had humiliated the legendary killer of witches.

_Twice._

Once, in her so-called 'Rosemary' guise, and then again with this latest enchantment, which Mombi was confident would teach Dorothy a lasting lesson in the folly of crossing a witch of her potent magic power.

Jinjur had performed her own work in enforcing Mombi's wants very well, although that move was the masterstroke. She had effectively harnessed Jinjur's frustrations through her Millicent guise, and the enchantment she had placed upon the gillikins as a whole maintained her Millicent Thrombey deception quite effectively. Indeed, if it wasn't for this lingering deception, she would have never been able to defeat the last magically powerful foe who had attempted to stand against her.

A foe who could have easily defeated Mombi, as she was much stronger in magic.

The old gillikin witch now wondered how she should proceed next as she stepped back through the front door and then up the three wooden stairs to the house's kitchen. How she should manipulate Jinjur. What amusing little laws she should suggest to oppress the people of the four lands that surrounded the city. The deliciously ironic thought of having Jinjur as her puppet was the very picture of appeal, and she openly giggled to herself as she entertained this thought.

But then, she heard an unexpected noise. Coming from…upstairs. A faint, repeating noise that sounded a bit like…clapping?

As Mombi stepped closer to the stairs leading to the second floor of the house, she was able to identify the noise as a lingering round of slow…applause?

Instinctively shifting her shape to that of her Millicent Thrombey guise, she began to ascend the stairs, her weight causing creaks upon the steps as she slowly climbed to the second floor. Mombi felt a draft coming from one of the rooms as she passed the top stair and crept slowly towards the only room on the second floor with a wide-open door.

The disguised crone definitely confirmed that the breeze was coming from this room, and she raised her hand…ready to cast a quick spell…as she rushed into the bedroom her fake identity primarily used.

The room, however, was just as she had left it save for two details. The first one was obvious. Its window was wide open.

The other detail, which was entirely new, had apparently been placed upon the bed by the intruder.

It was a pair of ruby slippers.

Indeed, they were the very same pair of slippers the late Wicked Witch of the East once had upon her feet. The very same pair of slippers which were passed unto the feet of Dorothy Gale though Glinda's subtle, sneaky magic.

And now, they belonged to Mombi.

The old witch had heard so much about this apparently powerful pair of slippers. From what she knew, not only would the slippers protect her from the magic of others, they could also take her anywhere she wanted to go. Even to lands outside of Oz!

But what were they doing _here_, she wondered? And who would want to surrender them so easily? Were they an illusion? She nudged one of them with a clothed elbow, not wanting to touch them with bare skin for the moment. And then, she poked one with an index finger, despite the apparent risk.

They were no illusion at all.

She could see them emanating their faint glow of ruby redness. They still, indeed, had power. Potentially _strong _magic power. Power that was now _hers!_

Quickly surrendering her own aged and unspectacular pair of shoes, nothing else mattered as she gleefully filled the spaces of both shoes with her own stocking-clad feet.

As Mombi expected of a pair of magical shoes, the footwear fit her _perfectly_. Further, she could _feel _the power emanating from them. She felt _stronger _now. Like she could take on Glinda herself, and still have enough power to bring every living creature on the world to his or her knees. Although Mombi's feet were still firmly on the ground, she nevertheless felt like she could fly if she felt like it.

With an entirely self-assured smile upon her face, Mombi descended the stairs of the house until she was back down on the first floor. As much as she wanted to try using the shoes to travel to a particular location, Mombi just wanted to walk around in them first, and get a feel for this powerful new addition to her regular wardrobe. She figured a little stroll through the Gillikin Country for about a mile or two towards the Emerald City before she clicked those cute little heels three times so she could zap herself right into…

The familiar-looking old man stood just outside the front door to the house, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed in front of him. The corners of the sour-faced old shoemaker's lips went upwards slightly when he spotted the ruby slippers on the old witch's feet.

Mombi felt fortunate that she did not shift back into her true appearance, so she figured she could get away with fooling the shoemaker into thinking she was Millicent Thrombey. A smile also crept onto Millicent's face upon spotting the old man.

"They fit you rather perfectly, don't they?" The old shoemaker mused aloud.

Millicent smirked, already wondering what lowly shape she was going to turn him into. "Clearly." She replied.

"How does it feel…" the shoemaker began stepping slowly towards Millicent. "…to possess absolute power?"

Millicent began raising a hand…but the last two words of the old man's statement somehow forced a hesitation. Suddenly, the thought of doing anything harmful to this miserable old man would not be wise.

Ugu began pacing around Millicent slowly. "Well? Go on! Tell me, Mombi! You have absolute power now." He stopped in front of the disguised witch, whose smirk had dissolved into one of confusion. "What are we going to do with it?" He added.

Millicent blinked as her younger, more innocent-looking features began to dissolve, being replaced by the wrinkles of Mombi's true appearance as her aged eyes widened. She could feel the urge to lash out against this man weakening with every repeat of those two words. "I…I…"

"You…you…" He mocked Mombi's old voice."...possess _absolute power_ now, Mombi!" He stepped in closer to the astounded old witch with a sickening grin on his face. "The absolute power to _do my bidding_ from now on!"

Mombi now looked shocked…but, despite herself, she slowly nodded her head. "I…y…yes…_no_…I…I mean…I…"

Ugu nodded. "Yes…yes…I have had my eye on you for quite some time! And Dorothy as well! Maybe I should move into your farmhouse and make you _my _servant! Cleaning up your _own farmhouse, _as you should have been doing! But you'll do far more for me than just that, my loyal little witch-slave! I may not have been able to exploit this little surprise on the Wicked Witch of the East, but I think you'll make for a fine thrall given your cunning, and your penchant for magical deceptions and punishments, which you will henceforth carry out at _my _command!"

Mombi grasped at her head fruitlessly, whispering a veritable mutter of magical phrases in an ultimately fruitless attempt at breaking the hold Ugu had on her, but with the shoes still magically bonded to her feet, the enchantment redoubled its hold on the old witch's mind. All it would take was one more utterance of those two terrible words…

"Yes…your absolute power will serve me well, witch-slave!" The grinning old man then pointed to the ground in front of Mombi. "_On your knees before me, _old crone!"

Mombi dropped to her knees with a more submissive expression on her face now. It was clear that her will was no longer her own as the glitter of the ruby slippers now emanated a more malevolent red sheen.

"Yes…absolute power…" The old man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "…absolute power…" he muttered as he gazed upon his new servant. "…what are are we going to do with it, eh?"

* * *

><p>Dorothy tried not to think about what had been done to her, and as she continued to find her way over to Munchkinland, it seemed as if nothing much had changed aside from the fact that she could no longer breathe. She even felt the presence of a tongue in her mouth, and this tongue felt two rows of teeth, although there was no moisture in this mouth whatsoever. In the absence of a mirror, however, she could not discern any further details.<p>

All that mattered, for the moment, was that she was still around. Even if her body looked radically different, she was still Dorothy Gale. She still remembered Kansas, remembered all her friends and family in Oz and otherwise, and…

Dorothy now realized that she was certainly beyond the short time limit the Standard Oil company had forced upon Uncle Henry back home. More than two days had gone by, and her pace slowed as she began to worry about what was going to happen to her Aunt and Uncle back in Kansas, if not what may have already happened, in her absence.

The patchwork Kansas girl began to wonder if Glinda was powerful enough to turn back time. Perhaps pluck her Aunt Em, Toto, and her Uncle Henry out of the past, perhaps in the final hour of that second day, so she would not have to harbor the guilt of being too late to save them.

It was terrible enough, in the here and now, for Dorothy to have to burden such a guilt.

Looking up to the skies, she caught sight of a bluebird flittering about. No different from the bluebirds of her own world. Dorothy couldn't help but smile thoughtfully as it perched on a nearby tree branch.

"Hope you've had a better day than I did." Dorothy mused aloud, confirming in so doing that she still retained her unaltered voice. She certainly judged it odd that she would have a mouth, teeth, and a tongue, and yet she had no tastebuds, nor any digestive system to speak of.

She certainly surmised that the absence of a need to sleep, nor eat, nor feel any kind of fatigue to be potentially huge advantages in the trials to come.

But could she feel _pain, _she wondered? Would a tear in the fabric of her plump patchwork frame register as any kind of a sting? She could still physically _feel _things, after all…

Her thoughts were once again diverted to a familiar sight in the skies. A triangular shape that looked like a large yellow bird, only it had a long tail full of purple bows, and a thin white cord was keeping the object from ascending into the heavens.

Dorothy smiled at the sight of the kite, and wondered who it was that was flying it.

The winds, however, began to pick up around the kite, sending it flying out of control. The kite then began to descend, perhaps at the bidding of whomever was holding the line, but this caused the bird-like object to zigzag wildly until it wound up crashing into a tree. Dorothy heard a young girl yell out in despair when this happened, and the patchwork girl began to head towards this tree. Although she stumbled a couple of times in her approach, Dorothy was able to stabilize her running motion to the point where she was able to reach the troubled child, who gasped at the sight of the patchwork girl.

Dorothy wondered if she should say anything. She didn't want to frighten the young gillikin girl, nor was she sure of how she would react to Dorothy's presence. For the moment, the girl just stood there, staring open-mouthed at the strange, stuffed creature that had apparently arrived to help her.

A third figure joined the two in the very next moment. A gillikin man with short black hair, a bushy mustache, and equally bushy brows. He was about to say something to the child when he, too, spotted Dorothy, and reacted in much the same was as she did. In his right hand was a large, sharp knife.

Dorothy figured that the only way she could prove to them that she was not a threat was to try and climb the tree and get the kite. Without another word, she made her first attempt.

Given her drastically decreased weight, it was surprisingly easy for Dorothy to ascend the tree. Although at times, the going was awkward, the patchwork girl was able to get to the kite and detach it from the hopelessly tangled white string using the white pearls of her teeth. As she worked, she noticed that in her effort to climb the tree, Dorothy had amassed a few noticeable tears in the patchwork quilt that was her body.

But she felt no pain whatsoever.

Dorothy realized, however, in that moment that she had climbed up pretty far, and if she were human, slipping and falling at this distance in the effort to climb back down would have certainly been fatal.

But there was another potentially risky thing Dorothy felt content to try as the girl and the knife-wielding man worriedly looked up to her.

With the kite in one hand, Dorothy jumped off a thick tree branch, flipping backwards in the arc that preceded her downward fall. She made sure the kite was in front of her, so it would not suffer any damage with the impending impact, and Dorothy heard the girl gasp in terrified shock.

But when Dorothy landed flat on her back, she didn't feel _anything! _No shock from the fall, no senses jarred, no pain whatsoever.

And, naturally, the kite was entirely intact.

The girl hurried over to the patchwork girl, staring down at her with wide eyes. "Are you okay?" she worriedly asked, as the man with the knife slowly stepped over in his own curiosity.

Dorothy smiled wide, nodding with a great deal of satisfaction as she held the kite out to the grateful girl. The now-smiling man held out a hand, and he pulled the patchwork girl to her feet.

"Wow!" He remarked, in a gruff voice. "Thank you for that…um, whoever you are. I was just gonna cut the line from down here. I'm obviously not as limber as you are."

The little girl, however, was quick to wrap her arms around the patchwork girl, squeezing her plushy body happily in her gratitude. She then stepped back to gaze up curiously at the stuffed stranger's silver-button eyes. "What's your name?" She then asked.

She absolutely, positively did not want to identify herself as Dorothy Gale, however. Only Mombi was aware, after all, of what had happened to her, and the Scarecrow was the only other person she felt comfortable sharing her fate with, but she had to think of some manner of identity to share with everyone else, and fast. It would have to be something fitting. Something fitting for a doll-like girl. Something fitting for a doll-like girl made up of a bunch of patchwork…

"Scraps." Dorothy replied. She then smiled. "My name is Scraps."

The gillikin man nodded, slipping his knife into a sheath on his belt. "Well, Scraps…we're indebted to you. Name's Miles, and this cute little sweetie here…" He gestured to the smiling girl, who stepped next to him. "…is Cherie. What brings you out to the Gillikin Country? Or are you just idly wandering through this fine day?"

"Well…I'm a little lost, to be honest." Dorothy replied. "I'm trying to get to Munchkinland."

Miles arched a bushy brow. "Really? Well…you've got quite a walk ahead of you, but it's certainly a nice-enough day for it…although I doubt someone like you could ever get tired, eh?" He then pointed in a direction, and shared as much as he knew with Dorothy regarding a route that would lead her to Munchkinland. "No doubt things will get easier once you find that yellow brick road."

Dorothy nodded. "I know. I've used it before." She then looked to Cherie. "Be a little more careful with that kite, OK?"

But Cherie was pouting. "Are you leaving?"

Dorothy bent down, placing the fine, smooth material of her hands upon the pouting girl's shoulders. "I have to. There's someone I need to find in Munchkinland. Someone very important to me. If I find him, maybe he and I can come visit you sometime?"

Cherie's eyes now looked a little more hopeful. "Promise?"

Dorothy smiled, planting a kiss on Cherie's forehead. "Promise."

Cherie once again hugged Dorothy's plushy body, holding her for a long moment before Miles stepped in and gently tugged the girl back.

Cherie waved to the patchwork girl with a slight smile on her face. "I hope you find him."

Dorothy smiled back. "I hope so too."

The gillikin couple waved, smiling, as Dorothy distanced herself from them. More than ever, just on the occurrence of this advantageous encounter, she felt entirely empowered. Although she had a feeling Glinda would quite logically disapprove, Dorothy was actually starting to _like_ being a human-sized patchwork doll.

At the same time, however, she couldn't help but wonder how the Scarecrow would react to what Dorothy had become.

By the time the patchwork Kansas girl had spotted a portion of the yellow brick road, the day had waned to the late afternoon hours. As Dorothy had suspected, she felt no fatigue whatsoever. Had she been human, she imagined that in the absence of food and drink, Dorothy would have collapsed in utter exhaustion by now. But the cotton-stuffed patchwork girl she had become felt no different than she did when she left the tree where Dorothy had met Miles and Cherie.

The patchwork girl had the benefit of re-acquiring the road at that portion of the path which cut through the forest where she had met the Cowardly Lion, and assuming she didn't have to deal with any wayward lions or tigers or bears, she only needed to get to that portion of the road where she had first met the Scarecrow.

She found herself wondering, a few moments later, if the large, curious brown bear headed in her direction would keep her from getting to that portion of the road. In one piece, at least. Dorothy had the benefit of plenty of trees in the area behind which she could hide, however, and she headed towards one of them as quickly as she could.

The bear began to sniff around the area, fairly certain he saw a brief bit of movement from something that looked strangely colorful during his daily wanderings. An intruder?

Perhaps a meal?

Try as Dorothy might, her maneuverings didn't seem to shake the bear loose. He continued diligently hunting for this colorful intruder, and she certainly didn't want the Scarecrow to see her again in a radically torn up state, patchwork girl or not. At the same time, however, she did not want to linger in this forest for very long. It was entirely possible, after all, that other animals in this forest could take an interest in her. It was entirely possible that they wouldn't even give her a chance to leave. She feared that if she tried climbing the trees in her attempt to evade the bear, monkeys would take an interest in her.

Or it was entirely possible that the bear simply needed to satisfy a harmless curiosity. Confirm that Dorothy was not a threat, or a challenge. But if he was hungry…

Dorothy ultimately decided to drop to the ground in the most awkward position imaginable, bending a limb or two in a manner humans could not. She also froze her face in a smiling expression, hoping to achieve the appearance of a discarded rag doll.

A fairly _large _rag doll, but a doll nevertheless.

Two minutes into her deception, the bear finally found Dorothy, and began sniffing curiously upon the unmoving patchwork girl.

He tried nudging the colorful, oversized thing. He was certain he saw this strange thing move when he initially spotted it.

The bear then sniffed around the stuffed object's face, and Dorothy…who had the disadvantage of not being able to close the large silver buttons that were her eyes…got the closest possible view of a bear's sniffing nose imaginable. Fortunately, the moist black nose did not touch the button.

Five minutes later, and much to Dorothy's relief, the bear finally trotted away from her.

The motionless patchwork girl waited another ten minutes before slowly and carefully rising to her feet. She then resumed her journey along the yellow road, entirely relieved that she was still in one piece.

Clearly, like last time, her journey was not without its fair share of perils.


	12. XII: A Night To Remember

Philomena continued to quake and shiver as she aimlessly wandered the streets of the Emerald City as the evening hours set in. Prolonged exposure to the natural breezes of the city were giving the suffering munchkin a chill, and she desperately desired some form of shelter.

The Headmistress of the Learning Guild was also dreadfully hungry as well.

The only confidence she had was in meeting the munchkin boy who had offered to help her, obviously risking his own status in the city just to see about getting the condemned tutor out of it so she could flee to the relative safety of Munchkinland.

A part of her did not want to go to the pre-arranged meeting area. She didn't want to see the boy punished for the apparent crime of showing selfless clemency.

But Philomena was hungry. _Very _hungry.

When it came time for her to wait at the spot Ojo had indicated, Philomena made it appear to be a casual, disspirted wander as she approached the location. She didn't want it to look too obvious that she was intending to meet anyone.

The Headmistress noticed that the area the brave munchkin boy had chosen was, during the evening hours, shrouded by shadows. It was definitely a low-light area and a considerably potent hiding spot.

From the blackness of this hiding spot came a familiar voice. "Wait until that guard passes."

Philomena knew which guard he meant, and she sank to the ground, sitting near the source of the voice while remaining visible. The citizens army soldier shook his head shamefully seeing the condemned munchkin sitting there so despondently, and he continued walking past her.

But then, he stopped.

In the next moment, he hurried forward, obviously spotting something worth investigating. Since whatever this was effectively distanced this guard further from Philomena, the educator felt a wave of relief wash over her.

She was then pulled down into the dark space next to where Ojo was kneeling. He had a bag with him, and it was from this bag that he procured a sandwich. Philomena was quick to grab the freshly-made meal…which Jellia Jamb had provided the munchkin boy with…and then, to begin devouring it.

Philomena then looked curiously to Ojo, speaking despite her chewing a mouthful of food. "Wha' 'bout…"

"Shhhh!" Ojo hissed. "Keep your voice down. One of my friends is distracting the guard. Now listen…this may not be the best of plans, and it may not work, but I'm getting you out of here tonight nevertheless. My other friend is gonna see about tricking the officers at the gate into opening it. Once that happens, you're gonna need to rush through. Bash your way through anything blocking you."

Philomena gasped in surprise, but Ojo continued. "No matter what happens to me, you have to hurry down the yellow road as fast as you can once you're out. My little diversion should give you enough time to race out of sight, but you have to run really fast."

Philomena's worries were obviously for the young boy's well-being. "Are you _sacrificing _yourself for me, child?" She silently remarked. "What if Jinjur condemns _you _to this dreadful 'invisibility' punishment of hers?"

Ojo sighed thoughtfully. "I have to take my chances. Besides…I kind of have an edge. I can't say anything more than that, but hopefully, it's gonna play in my favor when they bring me to her."

The look of concern remained on the face of the Headmistress. "Are you certain there is no other alternative?"

Ojo, however, was peeking out towards the eastern gate. Sure enough, a pair of guards were there. He also held out a fist with a thumb extended upward, and a feline figure made entirely of glass emerged from a nearby hiding spot and tinked out towards the guards.

He was also barely able to hear the Woozy's voice as he continued his distraction tactic on the sentry. However, he heard the man's voice say something along the lines of "I have to get back to work…"

Ojo quickly grabbed Philomena and pulled her out of the hiding spot. "Time to go!" he quickly hissed.

The munchkin boy quickly relocated the Headmistress, who had removed her shoes to keep her footfalls quiet, to the cat's hiding spot…which was closer to the eastern gate…as the glass-wrought feline began her part of Ojo's plan, attempting to divert the attentions of the female munchkin officers to the apparent magnificence of her pink brains. Ojo knew that once she had their attentions, the cat was going to think of a reason to have them open the door. Once Ojo visually confirmed that the door was open, the munchkin boy would get Philomena going regardless of whatever alarms were consequentially raised.

As Ojo and the Headmistress waited, they then heard a knock upon the door. An entirely unexpected, but advantageous one. Once that door was open…

The guards broke off their curious gazes upon the glass-wrought feline and approached the doorway. As per their ordained procedure, a smaller square portal was opened and the female munchkin guard was heard questioning whoever was on the other side of the gate. Ojo tapped at the Headmistress standing in front of him.

"Get ready!" he then hissed, and Philomena prepared herself for a breakneck dash.

The guard went for the door, and she pushed it inward.

"GO!" Ojo hissed, and Philomena took off for the door as fast as she possibly could. Fortunately, the second officer at the guardpost had her back turned. A moment after the Headmistress dashed forward, Ojo himself began a rush for the gate, staying behind Philomena.

The munchkin tutor's charge was fortunately dead-on as she bashed her way through both the munchkin guard opening the door and the two female munchkin visitors. The Headmistress's attention was quickly diverted to these two females as they collapsed to the ground, squealing from the hit, and Philomena saw that they were her two Vice Headmistresses.

And they were both wearing military uniforms.

Another four-legged creature dashed through the gate and passed the hesitating Headmistress. "Keep MOVING!" The Woozy yelled.

The shocked munchkin tutor gasped at the sound of the Woozy's voice, and began her mad dash along the yellow brick road. The square-headed creature glared upon the guard who had gotten up to give chase, only to stop in front of the odd presence protecting the fleeing tutor.

Ojo had dashed forward to try and tackle this guard, but he was grabbed from behind by the second guard, and was now struggling to get out of her grasp.

The munchkin guard confronting the Woozy began a careful, step-by-step advance as the guard wrestling with Ojo began dragging the munchkin boy towards the gate.

Attempting a most intimidating expression, the Woozy finally cut loose with the roar the munchkins had spoken so fearfully of…

"_Sque-e-e-e-eak!_" was all that came out of the Woozy's mouth.

The confronting guard's eyebrow arched upwards in confusion, and she looked like she was about to laugh uproariously…

…but just before Ojo was pulled away from the gate, he screamed one last word out. "KRIZZLE-KROO!"

The munchkin confronting the Woozy began her advance…but the sudden angry blast of flame surging forth from the Woozy collapsed this munchkin to the ground, her arms brought up to protect herself. She then dashed back inside the gate…along with the equally frightened Maggie and Summa Cumlaude…as the soldier patted at the flames on the sleeves of her uniform!

Once the gate slammed shut, the Woozy couldn't help but be concerned for the captured munchkin boy who had brought him out of his cave, and convinced the munchkin officials that he was no threat…

…but Ojo had told him that any delays would be potentially catastrophic. Getting back to doing his part in his munchkin friend's plan, the Woozy hurried over to catch up with Philomena. He had to make sure she would safely find her way back to Munchkinland.

But the defiant grunts and groans he heard Ojo make upon being dragged away following the shutting of the gate weighed on the creature's conscience.

As much as the plan ultimately resulted in Philomena's safe return to Munchkinland, the Woozy didn't like this thing Ojo called 'sacrifice' one bit.

Nevertheless, as per Ojo's wishes, he resolved to remain with Lo for the time being. During his stay with the munchkin witch, he never brought up his want for a cheese sandwich.

That was, after all, between him and Ojo.

* * *

><p>"Bring him in." Jinjur ordered.<p>

It was to the munchkin conqueror's considerable surprise…although this never showed in her face…when the two guards brought Ojo in, each guard holding one of his arms. He stared defiantly back at the munchkin soldier sitting in the Scarecrow's throne room seat, still in her General's uniform.

"Well, well, well." Jinjur began, her mouth forming a smirk. "Ojo the Unlucky. Once again, my cousin lives up to his name."

"In this case, Jinjur…I have no shame." Ojo replied. "In fact, others might say I really _was _lucky this time. After all…I managed to get Philomena out of here, didn't I?"

"Indeed. Well done." Jinjur then applauded, her smirk still on her lips. "And at your expense, too."

"So what happens now, 'cousin'?" Ojo tilted his head curiously. "Do I get to be invisible, too? Are you going to starve me to death? Get everyone to ignore me? Or will it be banishment?"

Jinjur thought on her response, glancing to the other soldiers in the room. She then regarded them as she spoke her next words. "Give Ojo and I privacy. I want every door in this throne room locked shut."

The soldiers nodded, as did those soldiers guarding the other doors, and they did just as she had asked. Latches were clicked into position once the soldiers were on the other side of the doors.

Ojo looked a little confused as Jinjur rose from the throne seat. Her eyes stayed on her puzzled cousin as she moved. "I know you must think I'm some manner of villain, Ojo, for what I'm doing…but you must understand I have justifiable reasons for it. Just because the Scarecrow was supposedly 'given a brain' doesn't necessarily make him the logical choice to…"

Ojo sighed irritably as the General spoke, and couldn't help but interject. "The Wizard gave the Scarecrow something he _earned! _It didn't occur to you that the Scarecrow wanted to return the favor in kind by honoring his request before he left?"

"I'd rather we hold out for a better leader!" Jinjur angrily countered. "Ojo…he left Oz to a scarecrow! _A_ _scarecrow__!_ What if some future enemy…maybe even _another_ wicked witch…wanted to fry him to a cinder on the spot? When you consider _that_, don't you think I'm doing that brainy pile of straw a favor by having him ousted? At least with someone like _me _here, you won't have to worry about anyone taking advantage of all the shortcomings the Wizard's ordained successor clearly suffers from!"

Ojo watched the General as she spoke. She seemed to be generating her ideas as she shared them. They seemed to bear the ambience of excuses, even if they were rooted in inescapable facts.

"Need I remind you, too, that this Wizard was the same charlatan who sent a little girl to kill a wicked witch?" Jinjur added. "Practically sent her to _die! _You _know _that green-skinned monster was a merciless tyrant and a cold-blooded _murderer! _She could have turned Dorothy into a piece of _cheese,_ so she could…could chew her up and swallow her whole!"

Ojo, however, wanted to hear the truth as he fixed a firm gaze on the General. "Who is this _really _about, Jinjur?"

Jinjur frowned in confusion at this. "Huh? I _told_ you! This is about holding out for…"

"_STOP!_" Ojo yelled. "Don't lie to me! _Who is this about?_"

An angry expression was now on the General's face. "Don't you _dare _talk to me like…"

Ojo was practically in the General's face now. "You're a _coward _for giving me all this nonsense when I want the _truth_, Jinjur!"

Jinjur and Ojo stared angrily at each other for a long and tense moment before the General, quaking in her barely-contained rage, broke the silence.

"That…" she began, extending a finger in emphasis. "…is _none of your business._ Oz is _mine _now, until a better leader shows his or her face."

"Or until you declare everyone in the Emerald City 'invisible'." Ojo shot back. "Or you 'permanently banish them'."

Jinjur hung her head, sighing irritably. "Ojo…I needed to make a show of strength. I needed to show everyone how serious I was." She then raised her head to look upon her cousin. "If you're worried about being banished, or that…that 'invisibility' thing…"

"Oh, just _get it over with._" Ojo disgustedly interjected.

"I'm not going to do ANYTHING to you, Ojo!" Jinjur firmly declared unto the surprised munchkin boy. "Other than keep you in the royal palace. You'll be well cared for." She then added, after a quick moment of thought.

Ojo arched an eyebrow. "Imprisonment?"

"_NO._" Jinjur shot back. "I need an advisor. A right-hand. I can't trust Jellia Jamb. She'll just moan and groan about how the Scarecrow should be back in power."

Ojo thought on this even as he spoke. The notion did have advantages given the current situation, but it would also mean he would be watched like a hawk. "I assume I don't have a choice in the matter?"

"I can't let you go, Ojo." Jinjur firmly remarked. "I have to defuse the fear out there on the streets. I have to assure everyone that their lives won't radically change just because I'm waiting for a better leader to sit in this chair." She then leaned towards Ojo, clenching a fist in emphasis. "I need you to _help me, _Ojo."

"You won't even tell me who this is about, Jinjur." Ojo reminded. "How can I trust you to listen to my advice even if I really _do _say yes?"

"Ojo, _please!_" Jinjur sounded desperate now. "I'm _asking _you to trust me! I think you'd be a really _good _right hand! With a little bit of training, I could even make you a…a _Master General Commander! _Under my command, of course…"

And there it was. Ojo knew there were elements in the munchkin army who didn't like the rotund officer called Belay, and they all answered to a single officer who particularly hated him.

It never occurred to him…until now…that Jinjur was this officer.

Everything else Jinjur was going on about seemed unintelligible to him now that the truth was evident. She conquered the Emerald City just to get revenge on a higher-ranking officer in the munchkin army. The truth practically filled him with nausea as he hung his head in disbelief.

"Ojo?" Jinjur finally noticed his reaction. "Are you even _listening _to me?"

The munchkin boy raised his head. "Honestly…I am _way _too tired right now to listen to anything. Does your advisor get a room? Do I get sleep privileges, at least?"

"Ojo…" Jinjur placed a hand on his shoulder. "…trust me. _Nothing will change._"

"Jinjur?" Ojo placed a hand on Jinjur's shoulder in turn. "_Give me a room._ Or kick me out. Or declare me invisible. I just _don't care _right now. I'm _tired!_ You want to win my trust? Prove it by leaving that munchkin tutor alone! Drop that banishment business!"

"Yes! Done! Don't worry!" Jinjur assured. "I'll make that clear in my public proclamation tomorrow morning. I _promise!_" The General then slid out of the throne room seat. "Follow me. I'll give you one of the best rooms in the palace _personally._"

Much to Ojo's surprise, Jinjur proved to be a soldier of her word in providing him with a freshly-cleaned and prepared set of guest quarters, one floor up from the throne room level. A balcony hovered over the throne room right outside the door to his provided quarters, making it easy for him to hear things going on below, provided the voices were loud enough.

The bed looked comfy enough that he was looking forward to burying himself within its covers the moment he saw it. There was a final sentiment he wanted to share before doing so, however, as he turned to the now-smiling General, who obviously hoped the quarters were to her new advisor's liking.

"You know…" Ojo began. "…you are one _strange_ conqueror."

"I'll try not to take that personally." Jinjur smirked as she began pulling the door to his quarters shut. "Good night, cousin."

When Jinjur returned to the throne room, the munchkin soldier brashly imagined that she could stay up all night in her determination to stay alert while she was sitting in the seat of absolute power.

Unfortunately, however, that vigil lasted a whole hour before the General's eyelids inescapably drooped shut, and she soundly fell asleep in the throne seat.

By this time, Ojo himself was already deep in his own slumber.

* * *

><p>Beautiful colors could be seen on the horizon as Dorothy advanced along the yellow brick road. She knew she was close to where she remembered seeing the farm with the missing scarecrow post, and the patchwork girl expected to see it on the horizon at any moment.<p>

But she then passed another familiar landmark. A tree wounded by a couple of sharp blows by a bladed weapon.

An axe.

A woodman's axe.

That was when Dorothy began to wonder if Nick Chopper…the heartfelt, tin-plated woodman she and the Scarecrow had accepted as another ever-helpful traveling companion…knew of the events that had been going on. If that army was formed from people all over Oz, then some of them had to have come from the western Winkie Country, and if so, then rumors of the army must have reached Nick by now.

Why was there no response from the winkies, she wondered? Or even from Nick himself?

It then occurred to her that such thoughts seemed futile given her current situation. There was no way, after all, that Dorothy could visit Nick and have him recognize her as anything other than the cotton-stuffed, magically animated doll she had been changed into.

Lowering her head in despair, she moved past the scarred tree and continued walking along the yellow route, hoping she would reach the post she sought before the sun completely disappeared.

Her steps hurried when she caught sight of not only the post she had been looking for, but a familiar humanoid shape hanging upon it.

The head was slightly lowered, but Dorothy knew right away that this was the very same Scarecrow that was supposed to be sitting in the throne room seat in the Emerald City's royal palace.

Although instead of a stitched-on crown, the Scarecrow's old hat was back on his head.

Dorothy had wanted to think that Mombi was lying about the Scarecrow being "back on his post", but there he was. And with a very sullen look on his burlap face as well.

The patchwork girl stepped over to the former monarch slowly. "Scarecrow?"

The stuffed sentinel was certainly smart enough to recognize Dorothy's voice when he heard it, and his head went up very quickly upon hearing it. Looking around, he finally spotted the stuffed patchwork girl looking curiously up at him.

His eyes went wide. _Very _wide. His mouth hung open at the sight of the doll-like visitor with the voice of his very best friend from Kansas.

He then remembered that the last time he saw Dorothy, he had reluctantly agreed to let her confirm the existence of the wicked witch called Mombi. His amazed expression began to dissolve to one of horror at the thought that this living patchwork doll was in fact Dorothy Gale herself, a victim of Mombi's wicked transformation magic.

"Please…" The Scarecrow began, his voice quaking with fright. "…please tell me…you're not Dorothy Gale…"

Dorothy's expression went sullen, as did her voice. "I'm so sorry, Scarecrow."

The stuffed man's head drooped down in utter despair. Although he was just a man made of straw, he knew that if he were human, he would have collapsed into a crying fit over this revelation.

Dorothy rushed over to the post, making her way through the crops to get to him. "What _happened?_ How did you…?"

"Does it matter, Dorothy?" The sullen Scarecrow replied. "I have to fulfill my promise, and so here, I must stay."

Although the cotton-stuffed patchwork girl was wearing the body of a munchkin at the time, she did remember hearing of this promise from the old farmer who lived at the nearby farm.

Dorothy had a hard time thinking of a reply to this…but the sound of a door bursting open nearby caught the attentions of the two stuffed acquaintances. Facing the source of the sound, the patchwork girl waited, standing in front of the post, ready to give the farmer a piece of her mind. Scold him into releasing the Scarecrow from this debt and get working on a replacement construct.

Once Bolger reached them, he looked at the stuffed girl first, and then the more familiar Scarecrow, through weary eyes. The old munchkin farmer rubbed his eyes as he regarded them both.

His eyes then lingered upon the posted Scarecrow as he began to speak. "Wh…what are you doing back up _there?_"

Dorothy was about to speak, but the Scarecrow beat her to the urge to reply…and he sounded surprisingly confused. "You don't know? You're the one who reminded me of my promise a few hours ago! You even put me back up here!"

Now Bolger was entirely confused. "I _did?_"

Both Dorothy and the Scarecrow now looked to each other. In the posted man's lingering puzzlement, the patchwork girl stepped over to Bolger. "What's the last thing you remember? You look like you've just come out of a nap."

Bolger looked to the side as he struggled with his thoughts. "I…I remember…oh, yes! A visit from that Millicent woman! She started asking me about _you!_" He gestured to the now curious Scarecrow. "Gave me some crazy idea that I should go to the Emerald City and put you right back up there! But…how did you manage to get yourself back up there?" He looked to Dorothy. "Did this…this girl-thing help you?"

Dorothy rushed back over to the Scarecrow. "That explains _everything! _Scarecrow…Millicent is a name _Mombi _uses! She must have turned herself into Mr. Bolger here to trick you!"

The Scarecrow nodded emphatically, although he was now frustrated with himself. "That wicked old crone! I _knew _he was behaving oddly! I should have _known _he was a fake!" He then looked to Bolger. "So…you really _haven't _made a deal with the crow king?"

Bolger sighed at this. "Actually, she was right about that. I _did _make a deal. It's kept my crops crow-free, too."

"But you shouldn't have to surrender a portion of your crops just to keep yourself safe!" The Scarecrow remarked, his tone entirely troubled. "You break that deal! I'm staying up here! I've got a brain now, and I'm fulfilling my promise to you!"

"You'll do _no such thing!_" Bolger yelled, wagging a finger in emphasis. He then stepped over to his astute creation, speaking in a softer tone. "Don't get me wrong. I'm very, very flattered for your devotion to me and my crops…but I was actually in the middle of building a replacement for you. Only reason there wasn't one up there was because I ran out of materials, and I've been too much of a lazy bum to head off and get what I'm missing. In fact, one of those munchkin tutors from the Learning Guild came by recently to remind me." He stepped in closer to his creation, once again raising his finger in emphasis. "But you listen to me, Scarecrow, and you listen good. Your duty to me is _done. _I won't have you up on that post any further. The next scarecrow that goes up there is the one I intend to finish building. I can't tell you how much it fills me with pride to say that I was the one who built the smartest scarecrow in the entire land, and the last thing I'd want such a scarecrow to do is hang around in one place trying to keep crows away! If the Wizard trusted you enough to make you a king, that's proof enough that you've earned the right to be released from your debt to me, and I won't hear any arguments to the contrary. Now you stay right there while I get what I need to get you off that post."

Bolger then headed back towards the farm as both the Scarecrow and Dorothy stared upon him in astonishment. The patchwork girl turned to her straw-stuffed friend with a much more happy expression. The Scarecrow was particularly speechless.

A couple of minutes later, Bolger returned with a long, notched pole, which he used to unhook the stuffed sentinel. When he dropped down, he dropped right into the patchwork girl's waiting arms.

The Scarecrow couldn't help but stare upon this patchwork girl's features as his burlap face got a closer look at the silver buttons Dorothy now had for eyes, the tooth-shaped pearls in her mouth, and the scarlet plush that served as the girl's tongue. He noticed that there was a concentration of black thread at the center of each eye which logically served as the girl's pupils, and the thin gold discs at the sides of her soft head were no doubt providing Dorothy with the ability to hear.

"Dorothy…" The Scarecrow had to ask. This girl holding him may not be what she was supposed to be, but for some reason, the Kansas girl didn't seem too upset about it as she looked back at her equally stuffed friend. "…are you still…you? I mean, can you still _think?_ Do you still remember what you were? Where you came from?"

Dorothy seemed to sense the strange logic that had apparently dawned upon them both in that moment as she returned her stuffed friend to his feet. She nodded in answer to his inquiry, maintaining her gaze upon the larger Scarecrow, and spoke softly and tenderly as she stepped in close to him. "Yes. Yes, I…I know who I am. I remember everything. Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, Toto…I really am still me, Scarecrow. M…Mombi didn't take that away from me. If anything, she may have made a big mistake in making me this way. I…I could be just like _you_ now." The smooth glove of her right hand rubbed at his burlap face. "I could go all day, all night, no need to eat or sleep or get tired out…I guess, like you, I…I'd also need to stay away from fire, too."

The Scarecrow smiled at this. It was undeniably a very tender moment despite the fact that this patchwork girl was supposed to be a human being.

Bolger stared upon this moment as well, and couldn't help but make the obvious observation as he smiled. "Well! I must say…you two make for a real nice couple, eh?"

But the Scarecrow frowned at this, and sounded extremely frustrated as he turned to the old farmer. "Now _wait _a minute, Mr. Bolger! I should remind you that this was once a living, breathing human girl were it not for the wicked magic of that old crone, Mombi! Dog gone it…she deceived me, and she turned my best friend into…into _this_…" He indicated Dorothy. He then turned his gaze back to the patchwork girl. "…however you need me to help you break this spell, you can count on my help, Dorothy Gale."

"But Scarecrow…weren't you listening? I think I can actually put this form to good use!" Dorothy reasoned, and even began to feel a very human sense of excitement. "On my way here, I ran into a girl who had a kite tangled in a tree. I climbed right up there and brought it down. See all the tears here?" Dorothy indicated the rips upon her body. "They didn't hurt _one bit! _I even dropped down from a very high tree branch and landed flat on my back!"

"And it didn't hurt at all, did it?" Dorothy shook her head in response, and the Scarecrow's smile returned. "And if you're still you, with all your brains and your heart and your courage…oh, dear me! You're right! Mombi made a _serious _mistake doing this to you!" He then stepped in closer to Dorothy, gently placing the gloves of his hands upon her shoulders. "I know this is gonna sound crazy, but…I've always _wondered _what you'd be like if you were just like me..."

"Well, I'm sure you can go on about it while I stitch up those tears on you…Dorothy, was it?" The memories of the past then hit the old man, and his own eyes then boggled. "Wait a minute…Dorothy _Gale? _The one who killed those witches? Are you…uh, I mean, _were _you…the very same girl?"

Dorothy nodded, looking a little bashful. "Yes, Mr. Bolger."

"Well, that settles it then! I'm fixing those tears up right this minute!" Bolger then pulled Dorothy and the Scarecrow towards his farmhouse. "I've _never _had a person of such importance in my home! Just stay a little while, I know it's late…"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me needing any sleep, Mr. Bolger." Dorothy noted as the farmer's two stuffed guests stepped into the farmhouse. "At least, not like this…but once you've fixed me up, I'm afraid the Scarecrow and I will have to be on our way. We have a _lot _of work to do if we're gonna stop Mombi and that army…and break the spell that petrified Glinda…and we need to put our heads together thinking of a plan even if we have to talk about it all night."

The Scarecrow nodded in agreement. "And you can do an awful lot of talking if you're heading to the Emerald City on foot from here, after all!"

Bolger had already procured appropriate thread and began to stitch Dorothy's 'wounds' closed, tucking in loose segments of cotton in so doing. The patchwork girl spoke as he worked. "Shouldn't we check in with Lo first, Scarecrow?"

"Well, we could, but…Munchkinland is still a long enough walk from here, as you remember, and as it could be very late, she may be fast asleep by the time we get there." The Scarecrow reasoned. "Maybe we could just…spend some time around the countryside tonight. Work out a plan, perhaps, or maybe I can show you a few tricks. You know, since you're like _me _now. Things you couldn't do as a human. After everything that's happened to you, don't you think you need to…you know…_relax _a little? Until morning, naturally…"

Dorothy knew she'd be blushing over the Scarecrow's suggestions if she were still flesh and blood. Still, despite the way he sounded, it was still evidence of a sound brain. They did, after all, have a little time to kill since neither of them needed sleep, and Dorothy nodded in agreement, smiling tenderly. "Of course, Scarecrow. I…I'd like that. Very much."

Dorothy shared some of the memories of her previous adventures with Bolger as the old farmer worked, placing emphasis on moments she shared with the Scarecrow as he continued to stare upon the patchwork girl thoughtfully.

At one point, the stuffed patchwork girl asked the old munchkin farmer to stop for a moment, as she caught sight of a fully lit mirror in the farmhouse. She rose from her seat and made her way towards it, the Scarecrow following behind her.

The mirror was long and wide, and Dorothy was able to see her entire frame in the fullness of this mirror as she approached it. She stared silently upon her own reflection, particularly amazed over how similar this doll-like shape was to her natural look, save for the obvious differences such as the coat-button eyes and the discs she had for ears, and the obvious dominance of the colorful patchwork quilt pattern that was now both her skin _and _her matching, long-skirted dress.

The fingertips of the smooth-textured, elbow-length gloves that were her soft hands traced along the pearls that were her teeth, and she finally saw what the plush red felt of her tongue looked like along with the perpetually dry space that was her mouth. Her hands then went to the stuffed yellow shape under her eyes that served as her nose, and they next went to the thick strands of braided brown yarn that was her hair.

It was, overall, an oddly sweet appearance. Dorothy could hardly believe that this body…this cutely plump and rounded body shape…was now her own.

The Scarecrow stood nearby, observing Dorothy's reaction to her own appearance, and looked entirely curious as to her reaction. Once she had seen enough of herself, she slowly turned her head to him.

"Honestly, it's…it's not that bad." Dorothy quietly remarked. "I…I kinda _like_ it."

"You'll look a little better once I've finished fixing your tears." Bolger reminded. Smiling, Dorothy returned to him.

Once Bolger was finished sewing the last tear shut, he wished them both the very best of luck, and his stuffed guests promised to return once Dorothy was restored to her human self.

For the time being, however, the Scarecrow and the patchwork girl were stuffed hand in stuffed hand as they left Bolger's farmhouse far behind them. Their pace slowed as they began to gaze upon the night skies around them, and the idle fields below. Crickets droned their nighttime cacophony as the two remained quiet, perhaps thinking about what to say to each other.

The Scarecrow then ran the work-glove that was his stuffed hand over the yarn-lengths of Dorothy's hair. "So how does it feel to have…hair like this?" He then smiled. "I guess you won't have to worry about brushing your hair anymore, either."

Something else was on Dorothy's mind, though. She had to bring it out in the open given the Scarecrow's sudden infatuation with her. "Scarecrow…just for a moment, let's say we were able to defeat Mombi, and Jinjur's army, and break that spell on Glinda." She turned to her stuffed friend. "Would you go back to being the king of Oz? I mean…would you _want _to?"

It did not take too long for the Scarecrow to answer, but he did give it the benefit of a moment's thought. "I can't, Dorothy. I'm sorry. I mean…I gave it a fair try, but…it's just not my kind of job. I know everyone says I'm good at it, but…I honestly don't _want_ all that responsibility anymore. Maybe if a better leader _did _take control of the land, I could offer to at least be someone that gives good advice, like Jellia Jamb did with me."

"So a royal advisor, then?" Dorothy guessed. "That certainly sounds fair! But…that still leaves us without any king if we _do_ drive out Mombi and Jinjur."

"Hmmm…maybe we should start thinking about who would be a good-enough replacement _before _we go and liberate the city." The stuffed former sentinel offered. "You know…there have been times when I actually thought _you _would make for a really good leader. I mean…just about everyone in Oz loves you, and…and you'd have plenty of powerful friends, and…well, I think it goes without saying that I'd be more than happy to be your royal advisor…"

But Dorothy shook her own cotton-stuffed head as she interjected. "I couldn't. I guess…I kinda feel the same way you do. It's not my kind of job, either. I mean…I'm just a farmgirl, after all."

"Oh, but Dorothy…there are _lots _of farms in Oz! Especially on the outskirts of Munchkinland!" The Scarecrow reasoned. "You'd be the darling and the envy of them all as our ruler! Are you _sure_ this kind of job isn't for you?"

Once again, Dorothy shook her head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Scarecrow. I…" The patchwork girl then lowered her head. "…I hope this doesn't make you think differently of me."

The Scarecrow quickly stepped in front of Dorothy, gently lifting the chin of her stuffed head in the workgloves that were his hands. He then stared upon the silver coat buttons that were her eyes. "Never, Dorothy Gale. Whatever makes you happy, I'll stand by it, one hundred and twenty-million ten and two-quarters percent. No matter what."

Their arms then slid into a tight and tender embrace, Dorothy's head resting upon the Scarecrow's chest, and the Scarecrow resting his own burlap head upon the patchwork girl's shoulder.

"I missed you _so much_ when you were gone." The Scarecrow softly admitted.

As they lingered in each other's arms, however, the former king of Oz felt something that worried him, and he slowly pulled away from Dorothy, his hands still grasping the patchwork girl's shoulders.

"Dorothy…you're trembling." The Scarecrow noted. "Are you all right? You're not afraid of me all of a sudden, are you?"

"No! I'm sorry…I…I can't help it." Dorothy replied. "It's not bad, though, I…I guess I'm just…nervous. I mean…I can't tell if this is all right or…or all wrong."

"Dorothy…" His face went solemn as he spoke. "…now you _know _I'm going to help you break this spell and get you back to the way you were. But…on the awful chance that we can't…" The Scarecrow then lowered to a knee, his gaze lingering tenderly upon the cotton-stuffed Kansas girl. "…I…I hope you'll at least let me…court you."

As much as Dorothy wanted to come out with it, she felt like a soul from two separate worlds in that moment, more than any other. One in which she was a human farmgirl blessed with the friendship of three farmhands, and another in which she had been cruelly turned into a cotton-stuffed, human girl-sized doll. In the former, she had the vow of one of those farmhands that he would write to her regarding his progress at an agricultural school, and in the other, she had a dear friend in a stuffed former king of Oz…the Scarecrow…who bore a bewitching similiarity to Hunk.

There had to be an answer to that great mystery inherent in both worlds. Hunk resembling the Scarecrow, Glinda looking like Regina Dawson, Almira Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West, Zeke and the Cowardly Lion, Professor Marvel and the Wizard of Oz…if this magical land was no fever dream, what was this incredible connection?

What would happen if she accepted the Scarecrow's sudden proposal, she thought? Hunk had always been as good a friend as the other farmhands, although she had to admit that the only real reason for her more particular affection towards Hunk after returning to Kansas was because of his evident similarities to the Scarecrow…

…but she was a cotton-stuffed patchwork girl at the moment, and the Scarecrow had made the logical observation that if nothing could be done about what she had become, they would clearly be inseparable, and Dorothy warmed far more to that thought.

As she lowered to a knee in front of the Scarecrow, it became apparent…in the here and now…that she wanted this night to last forever. An ever-lingering moment in time. She didn't want the sun to suddenly come up. Mombi could only be so cruel.

Besides…she owed it to the Scarecrow for being the first of her three friends to agree to help her in her quest to get back home to Kansas.

"Scarecrow…" She quietly began, bringing the soft glove that was her right hand to his burlap face once again. "…if…if I were stuck this way…there's no better scarecrow anywhere in the world that I'd want to spend the rest of my life as a patchwork girl with."

The Scarecrow beamed, bringing one of his hands to the smooth one rubbing tenderly upon his burlap cheek. Holding that hand before his face, he tenderly kissed the back of it.

Dorothy tilted her head to the side, smiling warmly.

The former king of Oz then rose to his feet, and pulled the stuffed patchwork girl to hers. She immediately wrapped her arms around him once again, and he logically reciprocated. They both squeezed each other as tightly as they could.

This time, however, he did not feel the patchwork girl tremble at all.

But the Scarecrow had to venture another thought as he pulled away. "You know…if you don't want anyone other than me or Nick…or the Lion…to know what happened to you, you should use a name other than Dorothy. At least, until we can get you back to…"

Dorothy nodded, smiling, as she interjected. "Call me Scraps."

The Scarecrow looked surprised at this, arching an eyebrow. "Oooh! Such a _perfect _name! Honestly, Dorothy…if you were any other patchwork girl, I'd swear you were challenging my claim to the diploma the Wizard gave me!"

"Oh, I'd never be as good a doctor of Thinkology as you are, Scarecrow." Dorothy assured.

The Scarecrow once again spoke tenderly as he gently placed his hands on Dorothy's stuffed shoulders. "I would never have gotten that diploma if it weren't for you."

Dorothy smiled warmly in response to this…

…and then, the Scarecrow hefted his straw-light body upside down above Dorothy, his hands still upon the patchwork girl's shoulders in that lingering moment. He playfully whipped around his legs to keep his balance before dropping down behind Dorothy, landing flat on his back upon the hard bricks of the yellow road, his arms outstretched. The cotton-stuffed Kansas girl pleasantly giggled at this gesture as the Scarecrow rose to his feet, smiling.

He then pointed to Dorothy. "_Your _turn! You try! I'm ready for ya!"

Excitedly, Dorothy rushed up quickly and placed her own soft hands upon the Scarecrow's shoulders, keeping her legs straight and to the sky as she balanced herself perfectly, her yarn-wrought pigtails hanging down to either side of the Scarecrow's amazed face as she stayed in that inverted position for a surprisingly stable moment.

But when she fell behind him, she twisted her stuffed body and her legs wrapped around his chest instead, and her arms wrapped around the Scarecrow's head, much to the former king of Oz's surprise. She worried for a moment that he would not be able to burden the cotton-stuffed girl's weight, but he managed to burden it just fine following his slight stagger over the surprise move.

Dorothy giggled as her limbs held to the Scarecrow tightly. "And now, you get to carry me around. Giddyap, horsie!"

Playfully, the Scarecrow began making equine noises, and then moved forward in a horse-like gallop, much to Dorothy's delight. She laughed happily as the Scarecrow continued his funny, rhythmic gallop.

In the hours that followed, the gallop had lapsed into a dance. Two happy stuffed humanoids sharing in their lightweight and impossibly limber giddiness. They swung around in each other's hands, beaming joyfully until they let go and allowed themselves to land flat and hard on the ground, only to roll to the side and leap to their feet in unison. They latched to each other's hands and legs at one point, their bodies forming a large wheel which rolled forward, and then the former king of Oz held Dorothy aloft by her stuffed belly as she spread her arms to the sides, the Scarecrow awkwardly racing forward to allow the patchwork girl above him to enjoy the illusion of flying.

They then danced their own wild version of what years later, in the world outside of Oz, would be called the Charleston next, bending in their physically impossible ways given their natures as stuffed creatures given life through magic, one of them seeming to cast aside the thought that she used to be human in her absolute happiness. Their smiles were full and wide, and never once left their faces.

Dorothy even felt compelled to speak in an infectious verse as she moved so wildly…

_Whoop and whee! Scraps is here!  
>S<em>_o dance and prance and be of good cheer!_

The Scarecrow joined in with a verse of his own, keeping up the rhythm…

_And at her side on his own two feet  
><em>_is the smartest Scarecrow you'll __ever __meet!_

And again, they danced. Twice as giddy this time, and all the more wildly. And always in each other's arms, holding each other as tightly as they could as they swung around rhythmically, the Scarecrow swinging Dorothy's flailing legs to both sides of his own stuffed body as she grinned and beamed with glee.

He then settled the patchwork girl into his arms. Dorothy rested against them as she held on by his neck, smiling back up at him. Naturally, being what she now was, she wasn't exhausted at all.

"This is the happiest night of my life, Dorothy." The Scarecrow tenderly remarked. "Even if you need to go back to being flesh-and-blood, I'll always remember tonight as the night when I got to have you. A night when you were just like me, too."

"I'll always remember it too." Dorothy gleefully admitted. "Honestly…being with you, I…I feel so _wonderful _right now."

The Scarecrow continued to walk with Dorothy in his arms as he spoke. "You know…Glinda wouldn't really like this. I mean, you being turned into this. If she found out, I'm certain she'll want to change you back right away."

"I know…and I know we still need to work on getting what Lo needs for that recipe." Dorothy admitted. "I had gotten the water, but…I used it on Mombi thinking it would melt her, but…she told me the reason the Wicked Witch of the West melted was because she was cursed. Then she…well…she made…"

"She made a _mistake, _Dorothy. Don't forget that. We're gonna _prove _it, too!" The Scarecrow solemnly interjected. "No sign of any six-leaf clovers, either?"

Dorothy shook her head. "I couldn't begin to know where to look for those."

"Well, we'll see about asking Lo about it in the morning." The Scarecrow remarked. He then looked to the pitch black skies, decorated with only a few small patches of clouds. "Seems like the night is still young, doesn't it?" He then looked towards Dorothy, smiling, as he continued to cradle her in his arms. "Could be a few long hours until the sky starts turning blue, you know."

Dorothy continued to smile tenderly. "Then I guess you'd better keep courting me…" She rubbed a hand against his burlap cheek again. "…Scarecrow."

"As you wish…" He brought Dorothy's patchwork forehead close enough to the lips on his burlap face so he could tenderly kiss upon it. "…Scraps."

An impromptu game of hide-and-seek followed, with the Scarecrow effectively teaching Dorothy ways of hiding that would have been physically impossible for humans to accomplish. In a lengthy attempt by the patchwork girl to find the Scarecrow, the stuffed former king snuck up behind Dorothy and presented her with a very pleasant surprise.

The Scarecrow had acquired a handful of beautiful flowers, and he had fashioned them all into a lovely crown, which he then placed upon the yarn of her brown hair.

This gave Dorothy an interesting idea, however, and she dragged the Scarecrow over to a spot she knew they would both remember for the peril it once posed to her when she was flesh-and-blood.

Dorothy had guided the Scarecrow back to the sleep-inducing Poppy Fields.

"They put me right to sleep, Scarecrow." The patchwork girl observed, gazing upon the expanse of magically-tainted flowers. "Along with Toto and the Lion. Now…I could stay in these fields as long as I wanted."

The Scarecrow smiled. "Must make you feel pretty _invincible_, doesn't it?" A thought then occurred to the stuffed sentinel, and he now had a worried expression. "Say, Dorothy…do you miss being able to smell? It must feel pretty weird that you don't need to breathe anymore, either."

Dorothy nodded as she lowered to her knees, her eyes still upon the poppies. "It _is _a bit strange…but…I'm kinda getting used to it." She looked again to the former king of Oz. "Honestly…it's easier getting used to what I've become when I…" Dorothy lowered her head back down bashfully. "…when I'm with you…"

The Scarecrow stepped behind her and lowered himself down, placing his stuffed arms around her, wrapping her in another tender embrace. Her head arched back slightly unto his shoulder. Their eyes lingered on the horizon.

"Somehow, this doesn't seem right." The Scarecrow quietly, idly observed. "Nick was the one who was given a heart…and yet, I feel like I have one right now. Either that, or my…my brain is…pretending to _be_ a heart, if that makes any sense."

Once again, he felt Dorothy's body quake in that moment. He turned the patchwork girl's head to look upon the silver coat buttons of her eyes. "Dear me…you're _trembling_ again!" He noted.

She couldn't help but tremble more upon her next words. Her stuffed head was inches from his, her arms gently wrapping around his head, as she spoke with a clear, undeniable yearning.

"Scarecrow…that's not fear." She softly assured. "It's _love._"

Dorothy then pressed her patchwork-quilted lips to the Scarecrow's own burlap lips. She didn't care about any of the circumstances or the conundrums whatsoever in that moment.

And for that matter, neither did the Scarecrow.

They remained this way for a long and heartfelt moment, content in their solitary company and their wonderful union, until they turned their attention back to the horizon thoughtfully.

Eventually, the sky finally began to turn blue.

* * *

><p>As Mombi finished the nefarious enchantments her new master had commanded her to inflict upon the attacking soldiers, Ugu's gaze lingered upon the magic mirror he had been using to observe Dorothy Gale's moments of happiness alongside the Scarecrow.<p>

He had the wicked old crone teleport him right into the empty, spacious living quarters that had once been occupied by the Wizard of Oz prior to leaving her to the magical assaults he had ordered the gillikin witch to undertake. Logically, the efforts of the attacking soldiers…even that of Omby Amby…were no match for Mombi's transformation magic.

But once he had affixed the mirror to a wall of this room, Ugu had his attention fixed upon the lively moments Dorothy was sharing with her straw-stuffed friend. His expression was entirely neutral as he continued to watch.

As he watched their frivolities, Ugu was reminded of the lovely doves that flew curiously alongside the magic dishpan the last time he was sailing through the skies in it.

But he knew that eventually, this patchwork girl would confront him, and perhaps demand that he give up the throne.

What to do with this one, he thought. How would he deal with this potential problem called Dorothy Gale?

Assuming she could even _be _a problem, given her apparent contentment?


	13. XIII: The Wicked New Wizard of Oz

Jinjur did not expect to come out of her sleep sprawled out on the floor.

Nor did she expect to see the heads of sharp spears and farming implements pointing down at her. Weapons being held by oddly familiar faces who now had strangely neutral looks.

Their overall appearances, in fact, were slightly different as well. They still had their army outfits on, but the women now had a somewhat hard and shiny appearance to their skins. Looking closer at one of the hands holding the weapons, Jinjur saw that the glossy texture did not resemble skin at all.

It was more like…wood.

"Get. Up." The wooden semblance of Lieutenant Spindle commanded, her voice now a droning monotone.

Once Jinjur was on her feet, she at least confirmed that she was still in the throne room, and judging by her position, the General was not too far from the throne itself…

…but when she finally faced the throne seat, she saw two individuals there. One she fully recognized, and the other a wrinkled and perpetually grumpy-looking old human.

The one she recognized was Mombi. She now had a familiar pair of ruby slippers on her feet, which glowed a malevolent shade of red as she stood there. Unlike the gender-switched…and now wood-wrought…officers surrounding her and bearing weapons upon her, Mombi still looked like her normally wicked human self, save for the blank expression on her face.

The one she didn't grinned malevolently as she finally noticed him.

Jinjur smirked. "You're in my seat."

"Oh, no, little munchkin. No capable leader falls asleep on the job." The old man mused. "This is _my_ seat now, General. I am King Ugu, the _new _wizard of Oz."

Jinjur glanced around, hoping she didn't see Ojo among the soldiers surrounding her, but he was thankfully absent from this moment. She still worried as to whether or not he was still in his room sleeping. She still worried that something might have happened to him.

"I see you're admiring the handiwork of my witch-slave." He gestured to Mombi, who offered no reaction to her acknowledgement. "I didn't think the uniforms they were wearing would be much protection against sticks and stones, so I had Mombi provide me with a convenient little collection of fortified wooden soldiers so I wouldn't have to worry about breaking bones. I s'pose for every soldier that breaks, I'll have a bit of material for making more shoes."

Jinjur needed to be careful here. She figured perhaps this old man could be swayed by a deception. "All those wooden soldiers...they need _leadership,_ don't you think? A…a right hand. A General. Well…" She then offered a respectful bow. "…I'm your girl, your majesty."

Ugu, however, chuckled at this gesture. "I figured you might make such an offer, but I'm afraid one of my old clients back at my shop beat you to the job. Another silly little munchkin, just like you. Calls himself some kind of…Master General Commander."

At this, the rotund and fully-uniformed…and unaltered…visage of Master General Commander Belay, bushy mustache and all, stepped out from behind the throne, fixing a knowing smirk upon the upstart girl who despised him so. Jinjur's eyes widened considerably in her shock.

"So much for your pithy charade, eh?" Belay mused as he stepped to the unoccupied space next to the throne seat. "You're to be applauded for arranging such a rudimentary army for your sudden and...rather _merciless _rush upon the city…but I keep trying to tell you, little lullaby. The exercises of military procedure has been, is, and always shall be the sport of _men_."

Although Jinjur was clearly enraged, her furious gaze switched to Ugu. "What about my army? What did you do to _them?_"

"Heh…they're feeling just as wooden as your officers this fine morning, of course." Ugu mused. "I have them all over the city, enforcing my will."

Jinjur was shaking with anger now. "Those were _civilians_, you…you cold-blooded…"

"You'll be no different from them, General." Ugu interjected coldly. "Assuming the Master General Commander wishes it." He then turned to the round-bodied munchkin, expecting a reply.

"Well…" He stroked at the whiskers of his long mustache thoughtfully. "…she _should _be the last."

The entire time, Ugu had his eyes on Jinjur. Aside from the rage, she occasionally angled a glance up and to the right side. No doubt she had someone else on her mind. Someone she may have been trying to hide.

"Maybe not." Ugu noted following a brief moment of silence. He then gestured to Mombi, who leaned down so that the old shoemaker could whisper into her ear. The old crone nodded once he was done, and the old conqueror's eyes returned to Jinjur. "Belay…Jinjur will guide you and Mombi to the room she's been glancing at. If there's anyone in there, you bring that person down here." He then leaned forward towards Jinjur. "I'll not have spies skulking around my palace, munchkin."

Jinjur's blood ran cold as she led Belay and the witch up the single flight of stairs. She felt terrible for betraying her concern over her cousin. No doubt this concern was about to doom him. Perhaps he would become another wooden soldier like the rest of the officers and civilians Ugu had Mombi transform.

She gave the door a knocking, on the off chance that he was still in his bed, but Belay shoved Jinjur to the side and burst into the room. Jinjur rushed in for a glance to the bed…

…but no one was there.

Belay began a more thorough search of the room as a slight smile now played on Jinjur's lips. Behind her, Mombi raised her hands, silently intoning a spell in a volume too quiet for Jinjur to hear.

In the next moment, she felt a wild tingling…and a building pressure…run through her body. Her eyes went wide with shock as they looked down to see that the skin on her hands now had a lacquer-like gloss upon them. They were also hardening.

In the next moment, before she even had a chance to cry out in defiance, the rest of Jinjur's munchkin body had transmuted, by virtue of Mombi's wicked spell, from flesh-and-blood to thick, glossy limbs of hardened, fortified wood. All she could do was gasp in surprise before her cunning mind went dull, the magic of the wicked witch rendering it entirely susceptible to suggestion.

Or so it was with Jinjur's officers, and the civilians she had recruited. The strength of Jinjur's own munchkin mind, realizing what was happening the moment she felt the tingle, surged with an effort to resist. Caught between the mental terminus of success and defeat, there was no indication on Jinjur's now neutral face as to whether or not Mombi's magic had completely subjugated her.

She nevertheless obediently followed Mombi and Belay back down to the throne room when the Master General Commander confirmed that the room was entirely empty.

Once Belay reported his findings, Ugu frowned unto Mombi. "Whoever was in there must have escaped! Doubtful whoever it was did it on his or her own…"

"I think I know who might have helped this person, my King." Mombi replied. "During the Scarecrow's reign, I'm told he had a mousy maid from my country serving as his advisor."

Ugu nodded, a nasty look on his aged face. "We must find this servant." He then ordered. "And _punish her! _And punish _anyone _who may have assisted her! _Bring the entire maidstaff of the palace before me at once! __No __exceptions!_"

"As. You. Wish." Jinjur replied in her now robot-like monotone. She then bowed obediently and mechanically, along with the rest of her bewitched wooden officers, before they began their advance towards the quarters for each of the maids in the palace.

In an open space beneath the throne seat hidden from sight, however…unbeknownst to _anyone_ in the throne room…an arrangement of small pink cubes began to shift and move as a certain glass-wrought feline, snug within the space, pondered a course of action.

Aside from her more vain urges, of course.

* * *

><p>"OJO!" Lo jubilantly exclaimed. "Thank <em>goodness <em>you're safe!"

Ojo raced into Lo's waiting arms upon entering the munchkin witch's home, and he accepted Philomena's grateful embrace as well as the mysterious human boy who used to be Mombi's servant looked on with a smile on his own face. The Woozy was on hand to reunite with the munchkin boy as well, rubbing his square head against the boy's leg in a show of affection. Ojo quirked an eyebrow as he glanced down to his cube-headed friend.

"Isn't that how a cat shows affection?" The Woozy then asked, provoking an amused chuckle from the munchkin boy.

Ojo then noticed that the creature's needed hairs were still on the Woozy's tail, and he looked to Lo. "Still can't get those things off his tail?"

"Honestly…I don't understand it." Lo replied. "I tried every sharp object I could find. Those hairs just won't come out."

Mombi's former servant boy looked to the Woozy. "Can you remember how those hairs got there in the first place?"

The Woozy shook its box-like head. "Nope."

Lo sighed. "All these things we'd need Glinda for, and she's in a position where she can't help us!"

"We'll figure it all out, Auntie Lo." Ojo assured. "Somehow."

"How did you manage to escape the city, Ojo?" Philomena then asked.

"Jellia Jamb got me up and showed me one of the palace's secret passages outside." Ojo explained. "From there, the glass cat got me over to the east gate. They were wide open and unmanned. She told me not to ask why. I know she tends to be annoying, but…I'm kinda worried about her. She never followed me out."

Ojo then explained about his confrontation with Jinjur. He told them about how the General wanted him to serve as an advisor rather than punish him.

"Jellia said something that didn't make sense when I tried to ask what was going on." Ojo continued. "Something about a new wizard of Oz. A bad one. Then she told me to keep quiet."

Lo frowned in confusion at this. "A _new _wizard?"

"A bad one?" Philomena added.

"Maybe it's just someone who thinks he can be a better ruler than the Scarecrow." Mombi's nameless former servant guessed.

"And if he's a wizard, then he's obviously a magician." The Woozy mused.

"And he obviously used this magic to supplant Jinjur." Lo surmised aloud.

Ojo sighed. "As if Jinjur and Mombi weren't bad enough."

At this point, a commotion was heard last night, much of it sounding jubilant. Ojo went to the door to check, opening it and stepping outside.

He noticed the tutor called Ermengarde, another family friend, running in a particular direction. "Erm? What's going on?"

"Oh, hi, Ojo! Follow me!" Ermengarde gestured for him to follow. "It's the Scarecrow!"

But when Ojo and Ermengarde came upon the much-loved man of straw, their attentions were diverted to his more colorful companion smiling down upon the munchkins surrounding her. This patchwork girl didn't say a word, but waved to some of the munchkins around her sweetly.

"Now, now…don't crowd around her!" The Scarecrow warily advised, wagging a stuffed finger in emphasis. "We need to see Auntie Lo right away!"

Ojo called out to the Scarecrow at that point, gesturing for him to follow. Fortunately, the straw man heard the boy and gestured for his patchwork companion to follow.

Once they finally made it to Lo's home, the munchkin boy ushered both of the stuffed visitors into the house. Everything about it looked familiar to Dorothy, as if she had been in the home mere hours ago. The stuffed patchwork girl smiled with relief seeing the servant boy that had been suffering under Mombi safe, sound, and looking completely human. The Scarecrow introduced Dorothy, logically, as Scraps.

But once Lo's eyes fell upon this patchwork girl, her expression began to melt to one of great concern. Largely because she knew that Mombi had a habit of wearing patchwork quilt skirts when she was disguising herself as Millicent Thrombey. When the Scarecrow finally brought Dorothy before Lo to introduce her, the munchkin witch offered a pleasant smile.

But while she understood the deception, she had to pull the former Kansas girl aside, and not just because of her clear suspicion that what had happened to her was Mombi's doing. "Your highness…" She began.

The Scarecrow interjected, though. "Actually, I'm not the king of Oz anymore, Lo."

"I need to speak with your patchwork friend nevertheless." Lo calmly remarked. "Alone."

The former king of Oz had a feeling that Lo, being a witch, would not be fooled by the 'Scraps' deception, and nodded knowingly. "I'll stay up here then and…catch up on things."

The white-robed munchkin led Dorothy down the secret passage to the table in the large space between the exits on either side of the long tunnel. She pulled up a stool by the table where Lo had procured the magic glasses and patted upon it as she smiled to the patchwork girl. Nodding, Dorothy settled into the stool.

Before Lo could say anything, Dorothy beat her to it. "I guess you know who I really am, don't you?"

Lo shut her eyes in regret, hearing and recognizing Dorothy's voice. This confirmed what the munchkin witch had dreaded. "Dorothy…you should know that I have no way of reversing what Mombi has done to you. If we can't break Glinda's petrification, you're going to remain this way for the rest of your life."

"I know…but…honestly, it's not that bad!" Dorothy noted. "My being this way might actually _help _me! No need to eat, or sleep, or get tired…being able to do things all day, all night…the Scarecrow showed me a lot of really neat tricks, too!"

Lo nodded slowly as she thought on this. "True…very true. So long as you keep your wits about you, this cotton-stuffed form could indeed provide benefits Mombi might not have considered…although I hope you're aware that there are handicaps as well. Coming out of water...if you're ever submerged within it...could significantly weigh you down when you come back out, and of course, it's logical that you should share the Scarecrow's fear of fire."

It didn't occur to Dorothy about the water disadvantage, but it made total sense. "Oh, but I think there's more good than bad in what I've become. Both the Scarecrow and I think Mombi made a _mistake _turning me into this, and I'm gonna _prove _it!"

A smile began to form on Lo's face. "Indeed, I can hear the eagerness in you…" She then stepped in a little closer to Dorothy. "…and, I suppose it's just as compelling for you and your Scarecrow friend to be quite similar in most respects. You were, after all, arm in arm when he was introducing you to everyone."

Dorothy lowered her head bashfully. "Well…um…I…I did miss him…most of all…"

Lo nodded, smiling knowingly. "Something tells me that if we _did _bring Glinda back, you may not feel so eager to be restored."

"Oh, but Lo…honestly, being with the Scarecrow isn't so bad, is it? We had a _wonderful _evening together last night! We were dancing all over the place…strolling through those poppy fields that used to put me to sleep…he taught me a few tricks…"

"Such as the idea of calling you 'Scraps' rather than the name you were born with?" Lo noted, smiling. She then placed a hand on the patchwork girl's shoulder, seeing her somewhat embarrassed reaction. "Don't worry. I'll help to keep your true identity a secret. Besides…Scraps is quite the charming name."

Dorothy smiled wide at this as Lo pulled up a second stool, positioning it right next to the patchwork girl, and settled into it prior to continuing her counsel. "Although I think if you presented this little conundrum to Glinda, I might have an idea as to how she would respond, knowing how she is. She would likely remind you that since this is not your natural form, you shouldn't grow so accustomed to it, whether you like it or not. I mean…how do you think your Aunt, or your Uncle, or even Toto would react seeing you looking like this?"

Dorothy now looked troubled. "I know…I thought about that. But…I'm still me. I still remember who I am. Where I came from. I'd still remember Aunt Em and Uncle Henry…and Toto…and besides, if they _really _loved me, they'd accept me no matter _what _I am. I'm sure Toto would certainly feel that way, at least."

Lo nodded, smiling. "Would you miss…being able to taste a delicious piece of cake? Or a cookie? Or a nice, warm cup of tea?"

Dorothy lowered her head thoughtfully. "Well…maybe."

"Would you miss…the smell of a beautiful flower? The fragrance of alluring perfume? The scent of freshly-cut grass?" Lo then asked.

Dorothy shrugged. "Flowers are just as nice to look at. I don't really wear much perfume, and…well, grass _does _smell kinda nice when it's cut, but…that wouldn't make me miss being able to smell things."

Lo thoughtfully nodded again, smiling sweetly. "You must have really bonded with the Scarecrow last night. Enough to forget that you used to be a young girl, too."

"Oh, it's not like I'm too young for such things, Lo!" Dorothy shot back. "When I was with him, it just felt so…so _right_."

"And how does the Scarecrow feel, dear?" Lo then asked.

"He feels the same way!" Dorothy quickly replied. "Well…he _did_ tell me he was going to do whatever he could to get me back to the way I was, though."

"But a part of you feels compelled to ask Glinda to let you _stay_ in this form, yes?"

Dorothy hung her head again. "Well...if what you're saying about her is true, I really don't think she'd let me, would she?"

"Well, I can tell you that a lot of Glinda's dislike for transformation magic is because she's used to seeing it as a tool to create misery, and even death." Lo explained. "During the reign of the wicked witches of the east and the west, one of their most cruel tricks was to turn particularly dangerous foes...human, munchkin, or otherwise...into harmless articles of food, which the witches would be quick to devour. Many horrible, misshapen beasts ravaging the countryside during that time were once brave young men…many of them handsome young princes…who swore to put an end to their reckless acts of terror and savagery. I believe Glinda was secretly in love with one of those princes as well, just as you have such strong feelings for the Scarecrow. As I remember it, Glinda was forced to destroy the monster that had once been that quadling prince she loved."

"Oh, dear…" Dorothy's expression went sullen upon hearing this. "…poor Glinda…I...I guess I can understand how she feels, then…" The patchwork girl then raised her head up. "…but maybe I can show that being changed into something else doesn't _always_ end in misery. That there can be some _good _in being turned into something like…well…what _I've _become."

"For as long as the Scarecrow is with you?" Lo mused aloud. "What if anything happened to him, Dorothy? What if, say, Mombi cast a spell that reduced him to ashes in the blink of an eye?"

Dorothy slid off her stool at the sound of this, looking highly distraught as she wailed to Lo. "No…_no! _Don't you _dare _say that kind of thing! She wouldn't do that to my Scarecrow! I…I wouldn't _let _her!"

"I'm afraid Mombi can be that cruel, Dorothy." Lo warily admitted. "What she did to you may even be a reminder of how well she may know you. It could be a warning, even. Cross her again, and she'll take the object of your greatest affection away from you all too easily. Someone you clearly love not only for the fact that you're both fundamentally similar in structure, but for the fact that…well, as you say, it just feels right for you to be with him."

Dorothy dropped to the ground, her head lowered and her legs crossed beneath her. She definitely felt the urge to cry, but she naturally couldn't, being the patchwork girl that she had become. As much as she wanted to deny Lo's wisdom, she couldn't.

Lo, however, stepped over to place her hands at Dorothy's stuffed shoulders in consolation. "I'm sorry to have to bring up such miserable thoughts, dear…but I only wanted to prepare you for very real possibilities as we continue this work we need to do to set things right."

The patchwork girl remained sullen. "Isn't there anything you can do? I mean…to keep us from…from being burned? So easily?"

"Actually, I think I _can _provide you both with an enchantment to fortify you a little bit when faced with fire, magical or otherwise." Lo admitted. "Seeing as how you have such strong feelings for one another, one of the requirements for the enchantment to work would naturally be met. Shall I make the preparations to do such with you both?"

Dorothy leaped up with a much happier face. "You'd do that for us?"

Lo nodded, smiling. "It's the least I can do for the great champion of Oz, whether she's a patchwork girl, a munchkin tutor, or otherwise."

"Oh, Lo…that would be _wonderful! _Yes! Yes! A thousand times, _yes!_" She then wrapped her arms around the little munchkin as Lo giggled sweetly.

"It will take me a few minutes to get the components together…but bear in mind that this won't make you completely impervious to fire. You'll just…last a little longer than you would if you didn't have the enchantment protecting you." Lo forewarned. "Now you go on and rejoin the others while I get everything set up down here. Share anything and everything you've learned with them, seeing as how we're all fighting the same battles."

"I will…and thank you _so _much for this, Lo. We won't let you down. I promise!" Dorothy then headed back over to the floor panel leading back up to Lo's home, and reunited with the Scarecrow and the others.

The Scarecrow, however, now looked very troubled.

A look of concern was on the patchwork girl's face. "What is it, Scarecrow?"

The Scarecrow's burlap head slowly turned to the cotton-stuffed girl's face. "It's about the Lion, Scraps."

Dorothy quickly pulled the Scarecrow away from the others so they could speak privately. "What _about _the Lion?" She then asked.

"That…quest…he's supposed to complete on his own?" The Scarecrow began, in a most worried tone. "I was just told that he's not facing one giant spider, but _two _of them."

"_What? _Oh, no!" Dorothy hissed. "And…he still has to do it _alone?_"

The straw-stuffed man nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"But…that doesn't seem very fair now!" The patchwork girl protested.

"There's not a lot we can do about it, other than hope for the best." The Scarecrow worriedly remarked.

"And hope his cowardice doesn't get the best of him." Dorothy added. "Did you hear anything about Nick?"

The former king of Oz shook his burlap head. "Not a word."

Dorothy nodded thoughtfully. "I guess it's just up to us for the moment, Scarecrow."

The Scarecrow smiled at this. "After everything you and I have been through, I think Mombi and Jinjur should be quaking in their boots."

Ojo, who was nearby, overheard this. "I don't think Jinjur is the main problem anymore."

The Scarecrow and Dorothy stepped back into the main living room area, obviously very curious. "What do you mean?" The former king of Oz asked.

"There's some new wizard in the Emerald City. A bad one this time, according to Jellia." Ojo explained. "I didn't see much, though. All Jellia wanted me to think about was to get out of the city. It was a real change from what had happened last night after I got Philomena out. Jinjur sentenced her to this punishment she called 'invisibility'. Anyone caught feeding her, sheltering her, or even so much as saying 'hi' to her would have been permanently banished from the city. Philomena didn't even say anything bad. She was just punished because of that confounded glass cat speaking her mind."

"Where is that cat, anyway?" The Scarecrow asked.

"Still in the city. She did help me get to the gates, though." Ojo replied.

Dorothy nodded in understanding, looking to the Scarecrow. "I guess this cat is the closest thing to a spy that we have left in the city."

The straw man nodded. "We really need to find out more about that wizard, somehow."

"We can't forget what we need to break the spell on Glinda, though." Dorothy reminded.

Ojo nodded. "The water, and the clover. If I knew where to look, I could head out and get them."

The patchwork girl turned to the munchkin boy. "I could tell you where to find the water. You'd just have to watch out for Mombi. The well is near her farmhouse. It's a short distance from there, and right at the edge of a forest."

Ojo nodded in understanding. "So look for a well near Mombi's farm. Got it. Now we just have to figure out where to find a six-leaf clover."

The patchwork girl's shoulders sagged. "I wish I could help you there. I wouldn't begin to know where to look for that."

The Scarecrow also shrugged. "Neither would I."

Philomena, however, audibly cleared her throat in an effort to get everyone's attention, and all heads turned to her. "Perhaps _I _can procure parameters to find this agricultural rarity."

Although everyone looked momentarily puzzled, Dorothy was the first to smile. "All those tutors from the Learning Guild…one of them is bound to know something!"

The Headmistress smiled, holding her head high. "Geography _is_ one of the foci on our list of tutelage subjects, after all, Scraps."

* * *

><p>Only Jellia Jamb looked defiant in any way as Jinjur and the other wooden soldiers lined up the terrified maids and pushed them to their knees before Ugu, Mombi, and Belay.<p>

The Master General Commander, however, looked a bit disturbed by this show of forced compliance. Belay felt particularly hurt to have to look upon all the frightened faces of the palace's maidstaff as they looked fearfully to Ugu. That one of them was a young munchkin girl seemed especially outrageous to him.

How much more cruel can this 'new wizard' become, he thought?

Belay felt the need to say something as he turned to Ugu. "Your majesty…must we subject someone so young…" he indicated Tula. "…to this interrogation?"

"It was 'someone so young' who killed two very powerful witches not too long ago, Belay." Ugu coldly reminded as he rose and began to pace in front of the cowering maids. "No one will be excluded until we find out who helped someone that should never have left the city to escape. Someone who knows enough about what we've done to make my rule _difficult!_"

A part of Jellia wanted to just come out with it. Give herself up and spare the other maids…Tula in particular…whatever nasty punishment he would likely have Mombi inflict upon them. But she had wanted to establish herself in a manner where she could gather information, and perhaps send it out to Lo in some way. She wanted to be able to spy on this new regime. Jellia felt a little more confident in being able to do this with Jinjur, but now? There was no telling how wicked this new individual was, although Jinjur and her officers being turned into wooden soldiers was certainly not a good sign.

Ugu smirked over the silence that followed, standing directly in front of Jellia as he addressed the maids. "No one brave enough to spare the rest of you a shot of punishment, eh?"

He then returned to the throne seat, looking to Mombi as he settled in. "Proceed."

With a smirk on her own face, the old crone immediately moved to stand in front of Jellia Jamb, and the witch looked imperiously down upon her as she maneuvered behind the head maid.

Mombi then shoved a boot upon the maid's back, jarring her forward with the impact. Jellia was now on her elbows and knees. Her face remained defiant, however.

"Confess." The witch growled.

Jellia kept quiet.

Mombi raised a hand in response, closing her eyes, and whispering strange words under her breath. The words were so silent, not even Jellia…who was right below her…could hear them. Even if Jellia could have, the maid would not understand what it meant. Such was the perk of being a witch of the old crone's caliber.

The witch's hand then swung out and collided hard with Jellia's posterior with a loud crack. Jellia felt all of her senses jolt with the hit, sending intense tingles all throughout her body before the feeling dissolved. The head maid felt a bulge at her skirt behind her…

…which Tuppence visually confirmed as the growth of a long, thin tail apparently emerging from her spine.

"_Confess!_" Mombi growled again, this time in a louder voice.

Jellia began to shake despite herself, suddenly feeling a bit timid. Nevertheless, not a word emerged from her lips.

Once again, Jellia felt the smack at her posterior. Once again, her senses were jolted, and her timidness intensified. She also felt her two front teeth protrude over her bottom lip. They were larger now. Her ears also felt bigger as well, and Tuppence could see that they had grown not only larger, but more rounded.

Belay watched helplessly as it seemed that the 'witch-slave' was in the process of transforming the head maid into a most humiliating form with every smack of her hand.

"Impetuous _mouse!_" Mombi growled irritably. "_CONFESS!_" She then roared.

Jellia gasped now in her induced timidness. Nevertheless, she would not let the witch win. She struggled against the need to give in, but she could not help but mutter her defiance. "N…no…never…y..you…won't…no…nonono…nonono…"

Mombi literally growled in frustration as her hand whacked at Jellia's posterior again. And then _again_. These jolts grew the mouse tail out to its full length, gave Jellia a coat of gray and white fur all over her body, and her mouse ears grew to their full length. Her new black nose could not stop wiggling, either, and she was able to see the presence of whiskers above her upper lip. Pads were now upon her hands as well, and she stared upon those padded hands as she continued to shake timidly.

The other maids looked fearfully at what had happened to Jellia. Belay, however, could not remain silent. Not after this. "For pity's sake, stop this! Please! What if they really don't _know _anything?"

Mombi smirked down at the anthropomorphic mouse Jellia had become. "Oh, she knows…" The witch then grabbed one of Jellia's mouse ears, twisting it painfully. "_Don't _you, little _mouse?_"

Jellia gasped with the pain, quaking terribly. "Nononononononononono…."

The wicked crone then pulled Jellia behind her by her ear, and then faced the other terrified maids. "As for the _rest _of you wretches...you're just as mousy as Jellia!" She then raised a hand towards them. "_PYRZQXGL!_"

In the next moment, the entire maidstaff…including Tula…grew the very same mouse features Jellia now had. They also similarly found themselves lost to frighteningly timid natures. Tula, who had grown a coat of white fur, glanced curiously at her new mouse tail as her nose uncontrollably wiggled, Tuppence, whose fur was a light brown, grasped her padded hands together nervously, and the others…each with a different color of mouse fur…just continued to cower before the old crone cackling gleefully in front of them.

Ugu smirked in his amusement before looking to the more sympathetic Belay. "Get those soldiers to the kitchens. I want every scrap of cheese confiscated."

Belay looked horrified. "You mean to _starve _them to death?"

"_Don't argue with me, Belay!_" Ugu growled. "I want the cheese placed in a separate room. A room locked tight. None of these maids get any cheese unless they learn to be more respectful and compliant to their king!" Ugu then leaned closer to the large munchkin, a malevolent look on his face. "Unless you want to join them…"

Mombi smiled wickedly, raising a hand towards the Master General Commander…

…after which Belay quickly raised his own hands fearfully in restraint. "NO! No, no…it will be done, your majesty. I'll get your soldiers right on it!" He then turned to Jinjur. "GO ON! Confiscate every last scrap of cheese! Bring it all to…to Room 23!"

"As. You. Wish." Jinjur replied. The wooden soldiers then began their advance to the kitchens.

Ugu rose from the throne seat and stepped towards Belay. "I can see why Jinjur hated you. You set a poor example for the soldiers to follow! _Go on and help them, _you little miscreant!"

"Y…yes, your majesty." Belay rushed over to follow his soldiers.

Ugu then stepped over to Tuppence, who fearfully looked up to him, still rubbing around her furry hands nervously. "Uhh? Y..yeth…th..thir?"

"You're going to be my messenger." Ugu mused. "I'm sending you to Munchkinland."

* * *

><p>Miss Atla's eye looked entirely oversized as she positioned the magnifying glass to her right eye so she could look at the map she had placed on the blackboard. "Hmmm…<em>six folium trifolium<em>. Or in layman's terms, the Six-Leaf. Very rare breed of magical sprig. Unique to Oz, in fact. Considerably difficult to find. More of a chance to spot one such sprig on the outskirts of Evna." She muttered as the glass…and her eye…scanned along the map's surface.

"Evna?" Ojo curiously asked, standing behind Miss Atla curiously.

The munchkin tutor's face never came away from the map as she continued to scan it. "Unless you can hop over a desert in one leap, young man, you'll not be visiting Evna anytime soon. The city is on the other side of that dangerous desert, in the large and fertile greenlands of Ev."

"Well…why would they be near Evna more often?" The nearby Scarecrow asked. "I would think it would be more plentiful in the land of Oz, no?"

"Indeed." Atla replied. "And then, those two wicked witches came."

"And they probably snapped up all the Six-Leafs that were in the land." Dorothy observed, her arm around the Scarecrow's waist as she watched the tutor scan the map.

"By the handfuls, yes." Atla confirmed. "If not by the spell…but if memory serves, the last patch of Six-Leafs in Oz was hidden by _another _spell. One that sort of 'blinked' them around to various spots on both sides of the deadly desert. Around the time Dorothy Gale left Oz for Kansas, I was able to figure out the pattern of its appearances."

Philomena frowned in confusion. "So this patch of Six-Leaf clovers _moves?_ Was given _sentience_, perhaps?"

"If it was given sentience, I would think that it wouldn't want anyone to use it for a spell." The Scarecrow observed. "I know enough about magic to know that any material components used for a spell are destroyed once it's used."

"Six-Leafs are the reagent of choice among spellcasters as well." Philomena noted. "Often, it is used to double, or even triple the effectiveness of a spell or a potion."

"What about the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West?" The nameless servant boy, sitting idly on a nearby desk, surmised. "If the witches had gathered up a lot of them…"

"Stolen, I fancy." Atla interjected as she continued to scan the map. "Mombi may even have the lot of them under lock and key. Enchanted lock and key, that is…by the way, Headmistress, did we ever find out what happened to Miss Dorothy? You know…that new tutor we sent to work with Tula?"

Philomena shrugged. "Missing, I'm afraid…but once we find her, we'll put her right to work as per her vows. I would think, however, under the circumstances, that we should concentrate more on…"

Miss Atla, whose face remained facing the map as she scanned, nodded as she interjected. "Oh, yes, of course. Just asking. Idle curiosi…wait a minute…" Her curly munchkin head moved closer to the map. "…hel-loooo…"

Everyone in the room moved a little closer to Atla. "Did you find it?" The Scarecrow asked.

"Where it is now, yes. Just south of the land of the Mangaboos." Atla reported, finally lowering the magnifying glass. She then spun around and moved to the nearby desk. Grabbing a pencil, she began drawing out lines and circles on a fresh blank page as she muttered to herself. After a moment, she crumpled this blank page and looked back up to the curious group, smiling.

Dorothy tilted her head curiously. "Well?"

"It should be in the garden of a Princess in the Dainty China Country three hours from now." Atla reported. "You'll have another three hours before it moves to its next location."

Atla found herself, in the next moment, looking upon the faces of everyone in the room staring at her in disbelief. Stuffed, or otherwise.

"And…where would the next location be?" The servant boy asked.

"Just south of Dunkiton." Atla replied, still smiling. "Across the desert. To the south. Bear in mind, though…I heard a rumor that King Kik-a-bray has a standing offer to reward anyone who gets anything from the six-leaf clover patch. No one's gotten it, but…you never know. They might get lucky this time."

Thanking Atla for her help, the group stepped back outside and headed back over to Lo's home. Ojo was already working out his impending journey's path as they walked. "Looks like I'm going to the China Country first."

The Scarecrow also nodded. "Get the water after that."

"Then you get back to Lo as fast as you can." Dorothy added.

"Will do." Ojo replied as they walked back into Lo's living room. "It'd help if I had a faster mode of travel, though."

"How about one of the horses of a different color?" The servant boy offered.

Ojo shook his head at that suggestion. "They could get tired. I need something that won't need to eat or sleep."

The Woozy stepped over to the munchkin boy. "How about you let _me _carry you around? I don't mind having someone riding on me. I've done it before, too…and you should be easy to carry, since you're a munchkin."

Ojo rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Are you sure? How fast can you go?"

The Woozy lowered his head at this. "Well…not as fast as those horses, but…at least I won't get tired out."

As the Woozy spoke, however, Lo stepped into the room, smiling. "I think I might have something among my collection of potions to give you that should allow you to cover a lot of distance in a short time, but it would only last one day's time."

The Woozy looked to the munchkin witch. "Really? Wow! I've always wanted to go as fast as those horses!"

"We can't waste time, though." Ojo reminded. "In fact, we should apply that potion now, so the Woozy and I can get to the Dainty China Country in time for the Six-Leafs to appear."

Lo nodded. "Then, we can begin the protection ritual for the Scarecrow and Scraps once Ojo and the Woozy are on the road." She then gestured to the entire group. "Everyone follow me, please."

But Mombi's former servant boy noticed a bit of activity going on through the window of the house. "Something's going on outside." He remarked, already on his way to the front door. "I'll be right back."

Once the rest of the group were all back down in the wide room between the passages, Lo applied two drops of a silver-colored vial she had procured into the mouth of the Woozy, and two more drops upon the back of the creature's thick hide, as the group watched. The drops had the consistency of mercury, but the drops that landed on the creature dissolved quickly.

Lo then heard the servant boy yell out for her. Curious, the group went back up to the main floor of Lo's home…but Lo stopped Ojo and the Woozy, leading them to the other passage. "We need you both to be on your way. Get to the Dainty China Country as fast as you can and get that clover. Good luck…and please, be careful! Don't forget that some of those china people are not only sensitive and a bit fearful around strangers, but also quite haughty as well!"

Lo led them both outside the passage, after which Ojo seated himself upon the Woozy's back and held onto his cube-like head.

"Heeeeeere we go!" The Woozy proclaimed, and the four squared limbs of the creature began to run forward. He slowly began to pick up speed until the duo were racing forward at a near-breakneck pace.

It obviously became necessary for Ojo to hold on to the Woozy _very _tightly as they quickly distanced themselves from the borders of Munchkinland.

Back in Munchkinland, however, a crowd of the small-statured citizens had gathered around a most strange-looking visitor. Clad in one of the uniforms of the Emerald City's royal palace maids, she was entirely anthropomorphic in appearance, her human features crossed with that of a mouse. Most of the mumblings from the munchkins had surmised that someone among the field mice were up to no good, but then the mouse maid timidly presented the message Ugu had ordered her to speak aloud to the munchkin citizens.

Lo, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Philomena, and Mombi's former servant boy had emerged from Lo's home just in time to hear the mouse maid begin to speak.

"P…people…of the…of Munchkinland…" the mouse maid began, in as loud a voice as she could manage despite that voice being very shaky. "…th…thurrender…Dorothy…and the Th..Thcarecrow to th…to the Emerald Thity, or…um…or we will m…mmmarch…on…" She began to break down, sinking to her furry knees. "…I can't, I…I'm tho thcared…I need cheeth…" She weakly pleaded to the concerned munchkins around her.

Lo hurried over to the mouse maid as Dorothy and the Scarecrow slowly looked to each other. "Obviously, this new wizard knows we're both here, and he knows who you really are." The Scarecrow confided to the patchwork girl.

"We should go, then." Dorothy replied. "If only to find out who this new wizard is, and why he's doing all this."

The Scarecrow nodded slowly. "Which would draw attention away from Ojo."

"Exactly." The patchwork girl confirmed.

"You realize that in knowing next to nothing about this wizard, there's no telling what he'll do to us." The Scarecrow gravely reminded. "He could burn us both on the spot."

Dorothy fearlessly took her beloved straw man's stuffed right hand into her own. "If he's that bad…and I have a hunch he won't be…at least I won't be alone, Scarecrow."

The Scarecrow pulled Dorothy into another tight, tender hug. He then gazed upon the silver buttons of the patchwork girl's eyes. "Let's go, then."

They began heading towards the gates to Munchkinland as Lo…who was facing away from them…attempted to figure out what had been done to the mouse maid as she knelt in front of her. "You say it was a single word that made you like this? Hmmm…" the munchkin witch rose to face the nearby Mayor. "We need to get Tuppence here to the Hyups, your honor."

"The Hyups?" The Mayor remarked. "At the top of the mountain range?"

Lo nodded. "I believe someone among them knows the very same changing word Mombi may have used. I need to see her once she's been restored."

The Mayor, however, looked skeptical. "You realize they could barter with me for something I may not be prepared to…"

"Oh, to the four winds with your confounded politics!" Lo snapped irritably. "We have a far more serious problem on our hands!" The munchkin witch then turned around, wanting to divert her attention to the ritual Dorothy had wanted her to perform...

…but to Lo's unpleasant surprise, the stuffed patchwork girl and the Scarecrow were gone.

As much as she now feared for Dorothy, a part of her respected the fact that she was willing to go into the belly of the beast so bravely without the protective enchantment she had wanted to apply to her and the Scarecrow.

The white-robed witch, however, could only hope that she would see them both come out of the city alive.

* * *

><p><strong>Dorothy – <strong>

**Good news! I've been accepted into Kansas ****State ****University****'****s College ****of Agriculture.**

**I'm writing to you from the desk of my room at my new place here in Manhattan(the one in Kansas, of course…although I'd like to go to the one in New York ****someday!). I'm staying with a friend I met on campus. Her name is Samantha Bobbin. Very nice girl. She comes from Oklahoma. You'd like her!**

**But there's something else I think you and your Aunt and Uncle should know. It's about the area the Gale Farm is located in. You might want to consider moving out of there. According to one of my Professors, the township of Irving, Kansas ****won't be a very safe place in which to keep running a farm for very long.**

**Logically, I thought he was just being all negative…but he pulled me aside and showed me some charts and books as he spoke. He thinks the area will be prone to flooding from the Big Blue River ****within a couple of years. Not even the Gale Farm will be immune to it.**

**Show this letter to your Aunt and Uncle if you think it might make a difference. You were all very nice to Hickory, Zeke and I while we were working on that farm…especially you…and I wanted to return the favor by letting you know about this. I'm not sure what Hickory ****and Zeke are doing nowadays. They probably found more work on other Kansas ****farms. **

**Please take this very seriously. I don't want to find out that anything happened to you, your Aunt, your Uncle, or Toto if and when you're hit by any flooding from that river. If I find out anything more, I'll write again.**

**Otherwise, it may be some time before I can free up the time to write you. All those courses to concentrate on, after all, and getting my new place in order. With Samantha's help, of course.**

**But I at least wanted to keep the promise I made to you before I left the Gale Farm.**

**Write me back when you can. Let me know what your Aunt and Uncle say once you share with them what I've told you here. I'll be worried sick otherwise.**

**Wish me luck in my studies. I hope I do better here than I did when I screwed up the Pythagorean Theorem in High School.**

**I hope to hear from you very soon.**

**- Hunk**

He looked over the letter, going over every word of it repeatedly. A part of him hoped that the letter wouldn't be delivered to an empty farmhouse. It would certainly relieve him, at least, to know that they found out before he did about the danger the Big Blue River posed to the Irving community the Gale Farm was a part of.

Hunk heard a knock at the door of his room, and he turned to see Samantha standing there. "Mr. Griffiths? We're waitin' downstairs for you."

"I'm almost ready…and please. My friends call me Hunk."

Samantha nodded, smiling. "Don't take too much long'r, Hunk. Y' don't wanna be late for your first night out on th' town 'fore your first classes t'morrow mornin'." Punctuating her statement with a flirtatious wink, the Oklahoma-born blonde went back downstairs.

Hunk couldn't help but blush in response to the wink as he folded his letter to Dorothy, placed it in an envelope, and sealed it. Placing a postage stamp at one corner of the pre-addressed letter, he shut off the desk light and hurried out of his room to join his new friends.

* * *

><p>Dorothy and the Scarecrow were arm-in-arm as they approached the east gate of the Emerald City. They expected to see the usual guards, but they instead saw a much more unsettling sight: female civilians armed with sharp farming implements who looked human, save for the fact that their bodies were thick, lacquered wood. Dorothy saw some of the officers that she remembered seeing during her time at the farmhouse as well, although they shared the same wooden appearance the civilian soldiers now had.<p>

Various normal citizens of the city…those who were not made of wood, of course…that they had passed on their way to the royal palace either looked curious for the appearance of the patchwork girl…some of whom gasped, accurately surmising that this cotton-stuffed young female was Dorothy Gale herself…or looked entirely nervous for all the wooden soldiers now patrolling the city.

"You don't suppose…" The Scarecrow quietly, fearfully confided with Dorothy. "…that this wizard will make _us_ one of these wooden soldiers, do you?"

Dorothy gazed around at their numbers, either marching in perfect rows around the city or standing guard. "There's so many of them…"

Once they reached the royal palace, it was to their expected and unpleasant discovery that the soldier called Omby Amby maintained his post in front of the royal palace. Although he, too, was now made of solid wood rather than any semblance of soft skin.

"Follow. Me." The wood-wrought soldier spoke in a creepy monotone…in Omby's voice…as he spun around with military precision and began marching towards the palace doors, which opened before he reached it. Dorothy and the Scarecrow naturally followed him down the long hallway towards where they expected to see this wicked new wizard ruler.

But someone else standing next to the old man in the throne seat caught Dorothy's eye more immediately. "Scarecrow…" Dorothy quietly confided. "…Mombi is here."

The former king of Oz nodded. "I don't recognize the old man…but that's definitely Jinjur standing there with him and Mombi." He whispered back.

As they got closer, however, Dorothy's silver button-eyes saw another familiar sight upon the old witch's feet. The patchwork girl's mouth hung open in her surprise.

"Mombi's wearing my ruby slippers?" Dorothy remarked.

"_I _made those ruby slippers a long time ago, Dorothy Gale…and they were _never_ yours." Ugu mused.

Jinjur, who was standing to the left of the old shoemaker, snapped her head to the patchwork girl upon hearing her true name.

"They were crafted for a certain Wicked Witch of the East." Ugu explained. "Almost had that dangerous old hag under my control, too…but since you inconveniently killed her and her sister, Mombi here seemed a suitable replacement."

Dorothy glanced to the gillikin witch…and noticed that she indeed had a somewhat blank expression as she stared forward. It was as if she, too, were just as wooden as all of the soldiers she and the Scarecrow had seen, only Mombi was still flesh-and-blood. The slippers also had a more malevolent red glow to them compared to when they were on Dorothy's feet.

"I don't understand…" Dorothy's silver button eyes went from Mombi to Ugu. "…my will was my own when last I wore those slippers."

"That's because you're not a witch." Ugu replied. "The ruby slippers increase a witch's magic powers, and they can take you anywhere in the world as you already know…but when those slippers hear my voice speak two words, they take control of the witch's mind. Mombi is my little witch-slave now."

"Slave to who?" Dorothy then asked, in a somewhat scolding tone. "Who are you?"

Ugu smirked. "Still so impetuous, aren't you? Even after what happened to you? If you must know, my name is Ugu…and I expect the both of you lovebirds to show me a little more respect when you speak to me, unless you want me to fry you both where you stand."

As Ugu spoke, the Scarecrow saw a somewhat familiar face peek over to them from a shadowy corner nearby. He immediately recognized the young munchkin face, but it looked weird. More like a mouse…literally…rather than the spirited little munchkin maid that he remembered.

"Tula…?" he curiously whispered.

The frightened, timid-looking mouse maid didn't seem to hear the Scarecrow…but in the next moment, Tula's eyes met his, and she ducked back into her hiding spot quaking in terror.

Ugu, however, continued to regard Dorothy with a lingering, thoughtful gaze. "Did you want Mombi to change you back?"

Instead of a straight answer, Ugu saw the patchwork girl lower her head in visible indecision.

A moment later, a slight smile played on the old former shoemaker's lips. "I'll take your silence for a 'no'." He then leaned forward towards Dorothy, still in the throne seat. "I saw how happy you both were last night. Would have made me feel young again if my youth hadn't been so…disappointing."

The Scarecrow turned his head back to Ugu with a bit of a shocked look on his face. "What did you do with Tula?"

"I didn't do anything. Those mouse maids were Mombi's work." Ugu replied, his gaze returning to Dorothy. "Just like _you _were Mombi's work."

"Why are you doing this?" The patchwork girl then asked, in a more careful tone this time.

"Because I can." Ugu shot back. "Because I _did_. I saw an opportunity when Jinjur here took the city. I thought the fighting would last for hours, but everyone got so complacent once those two witches were gone, didn't they, Scarecrow? No reason to be alert for trouble when there didn't seem to be any threats left in the land, eh?"

"What do you want with us?" Dorothy then asked.

"And what are you gonna do with us?" The Scarecrow added.

A menacing smile was now on Ugu's face. "I'm gonna make you a little bargain. One which young Dorothy may consider just and fair under the circumstances." The old man then rose from his seat and began to step towards the patchwork girl. "Bit of a shame, what happened to Glinda, don't you think? Frozen solid. No doubt you want to restore that sickeningly compassionate old sorceress…but what would that get you? Eh?"

"I'd be returning the selfless favor Glinda did for me when she helped me get back home!" Dorothy replied.

"But she could have done that the moment she put those ruby slippers on your feet." Ugu reasoned, gesturing to Mombi's glowing shoes. "Instead, she had you facing peril after peril just to get to a charlatan wizard who asked you to commit murder so _he _could supposedly get you back home. And I thought your Lion friend was cowardly."

"But he _did _try to get me back home!" Dorothy countered. "If it wasn't for…"

"Yes, yes, I heard the story. Lost control of his silly little balloon, did he?" Ugu interjected as he began pacing slowly around the patchwork girl. "But that doesn't change the fact that Glinda could have sent you home sooner. She _didn't!_"

"But…but I would never have met Nick…" She wanted to deny Ugu, but there was a shred of truth to his words. "…or the Lion…"

"Or _him._" He gestured to the Scarecrow as he moved around her. "You really think Glinda would let you stay this way if you brought her back? Let you remain a patchwork girl, so you could be with your beloved Scarecrow, always?" Ugu then scowled right in Dorothy's patchwork face. "_I think not._"

Dorothy, who did not react to Ugu's scowl, then made her inquiry in a soft and curious voice that made her sound thoughtful. "Would _you_ let me?"

Ugu stepped behind her before she heard his voice again. "That's what my bargain is all about, patchwork girl. You stop this rubbish about releasing Glinda from that spell, I let you and the Scarecrow live the rest of your endless lives peacefully. Wouldn't have to worry about growing old, eating, sleeping…you could dance and verse and roll around in each other's arms all day, all night and I wouldn't even bother either one of you."

The Scarecrow frowned at this. "What about everyone else? Are you gonna turn them all into mice, too?"

"That would make me a touch merciless, wouldn't it? I'm a usurper, not a monster." Ugu replied. " If you were both flesh and blood when you arrived here, I'd have those maids serving you both food and drink out of courtesy…but you aren't, are you?" He looked again to Dorothy. "Don't you want to have another nice night with your Scarecrow? I could give you as many nights as you wanted."

Once again, Dorothy sounded thoughtful. "And…and you'd leave us both alone?"

Ugu nodded. He looked and sounded surprisingly genuine. "For the rest of your contented lives."

The Scarecrow's frown remained, though, as Dorothy seemed to think on Ugu's offer. "And what happens if any of the _other_ lands surrounding the Emerald City take issue with you?"

"They won't. I don't _have _any issues with any munchkins, or quadlings, or gillikins, or winkies other than the ones in Herku that banished me from their lands." Ugu replied. "Everyone else can come and go as they please, if that's what they wanted. Go about their business." He then gestured to the Scarecrow. "As if _you _were still the king."

The Scarecrow had another line of inquiry to hopefully have Ugu linger on. "We heard you're a wizard."

Ugu smirked again. "I'm as much a wizard as the last charlatan who ruled Oz. Favors from _real_ wizards and witches among my clientele made it possible for me to make those ruby slippers."

The Scarecrow frowned again, sounding very surprised. "So you're a _shoemaker?_"

"No." Ugu shook his head slowly. "I'm your successor. And as your successor, I'll want your answer to my bargain. You keep your friends from making that antidote, and you both get to be happy with each other for the rest of your life."

The former king of Oz now had a more pleading tone. "But Glinda is our _friend_…"

Dorothy, however, interjected. "I'll…see what I can do, your highness." She then turned to the Scarecrow, whose expression was now one of shock. "And if you love me as much as I love you, you'll help me."

The Scarecrow gasped. "Dorothy…!"

"We don't have to hurt anyone! We'll just…we'll just…conveniently lose one of the ingredients!" Dorothy reasoned. She wished she could give the Scarecrow a sly wink, but the silver buttons of her eyes were incapable of making such a gesture. "Scarecrow, _please_. I know how much you want us to be together…and you heard Ugu. He won't bother _anyone!_"

"But…Glinda…!"

"What _of _her?" Dorothy's tone was now evidently cross. "Ugu's right! She could have told me those shoes could take me home sooner, and I wouldn't have had to worry about dealing with a…a fake wizard or a wicked witch! It's not _fair_ that she would have to put me in danger just to get me home! I mean…did I look like any kind of a _soldier _when you met me?"

The Scarecrow couldn't help but feel betrayed, and a rising anger could be heard in his voice as he spoke. "Dorothy…have you _lost your…_"

He stopped, seeing the corner of Dorothy's mouth visibly and voluntarily twitch. Why was she doing that all of a sudden? What did it mean?

In the next moment, he surmised what it could mean, since the Scarecrow never imagined hearing a girl as spirited and as loyal to her friends as Dorothy Gale become so selfish all of a sudden.

This had to be similar to the 'wink' gesture that came with an intended deception.

His head turned slowly back to Ugu, whose right eyebrow was arched curiously upward. "…of course not. It's...not like you're gonna _destroy_ the statue Glinda became, right?"

Ugu shook his head. "I told you. I'm not a monster."

The Scarecrow finally nodded after another moment of thought. "All right, your highness. As long as you don't do anything to that statue, I…I'll be content to let you rule the land. I'll even help Dorothy, too…but I only ask that you give some consideration to having Mombi change those maids back to normal."

Ugu let out an amused snort. "If they behave themselves, maybe I will."

The former king of Oz nodded slowly at this confirmation. "Fine." He then lowered to a knee and bowed his head before Ugu. Dorothy caught sight of the Scarecrow beginning to lower to the ground, and did likewise. The old shoemaker smirked at this unexpected gesture.

"By your leave, your majesty." The Scarecrow then neutrally remarked.

Ugu's smirking expression became more serious. "You'll both be watched. I guarantee you that." He growled. "You may go."

Jinjur's head turned to Ugu. "She. Is. Dangerous." Her monotone voice warned as Dorothy and the Scarecrow rose to their feet and began walking down the hall to the royal palace's entrance doors.

"Please." Ugu noted derisively, gesturing to Mombi. "Three clicks of those heels, and my witch-slave will be right behind her in the blink of an eye, ready to set her aflame for her treason."

The stuffed visitors were able to catch this last statement before they reached the doors. As Dorothy's left hand was holding the Scarecrow's right, they shared a trustworthy squeeze of those hands as they passed through the opened doors and stepped outside.

As they distanced themselves from the palace, they began a more casual stroll through the city, looking for an area where they could both speak in confidence. When they finally spotted an alley, they moved into it before any of the wooden guards could notice them.

"So was I right, Dorothy?" The Scarecrow quietly asked. "Was all that stuff about sabotaging the antidote just a rib?"

"Of _course _it was." Dorothy quietly assured. "I was hoping you'd understand my signal. We're gonna stick to the plan. After all…freedom to do what that mean old shoemaker allows isn't freedom at all!"

But the Scarecrow leaned back against the side wall of the alley, a perplexing thought on his mind as the patchwork girl looked curiously to him. "But…Oz has _always_ been ruled by someone, Dorothy. Someone who gives guidance. Sets down rules. If what you say is true, then…do you think Oz would be better off without a ruler at all?"

"That's a _terrible _thought, Scarecrow." Dorothy replied. "Without someone _good _to show people a better way, everyone would…would go bad! We'd have wickedness all over Oz!" She then grasped the former king's straw-stuffed shoulders. "That's why I thought you were such a good king, Scarecrow. You wouldn't allow that. You're a really _good _Scarecrow with a wonderful brain. So many people trusted you and liked you, and I think you know enough about what's right and what's wrong. Why…if I were born in Oz, I'd be _completely _happy with you sitting in the throne!"

But the Scarecrow's head was still lowered. "Jinjur didn't seem to think so."

Dorothy lifted his head back up to look into his eyes as she spoke. "No matter what leader sits in that chair, you can't win the hearts and minds of _everyone_ in Oz. You'd have to understand that some people won't like you as a ruler. Even if _I _were the ruler of Oz, there would be people who wouldn't like me…but you never know, Scarecrow. In time, you may do something, or they may do something that may change their minds about you. Or they may _never _like you for their own reasons. It's something any leader…scarecrow or otherwise…has to understand, or they can never be a good leader. It's the ones who do like you, and do trust you, that you should stay in the throne for. If there's more people who like you than there are people who don't, you couldn't say you were a bad leader, could you?"

The stuffed former monarch nodded slowly as he began to understand. "I have to remember that. That's really good advice. I…I still don't want to be a king again, but…it does make me feel better for you to say this to me." A smile once again played on the Scarecrow's lips, and the patchwork girl similarly smiled as she tenderly wrapped his arms around him again.

"No matter what you are…whether you're the king of Oz or not…whether I'm human, or otherwise...you'll always be a good man to me, Scarecrow." The patchwork girl remarked as she hugged him tightly. "Don't you _ever_ forget that."

The Scarecrow then planted his lips upon Dorothy's, lingering them there for a moment before pulling away with a smiling, stalwart expression. "Never! I don't care if that mean old man is watching us right now. Let's just get right back to work on freeing Glinda!"

Dorothy smiled. "That's up to…well, you-know-who…at the moment. I hope he'll be okay."

It was then that there was a great commotion in the direction of the royal palace. From the wooden guards, they heard two words consistently shouted.

"STOP! HIM!"

"STOP! HIM!"

"STOP! HIM!"

The voices seemed to be getting louder, indicating that the wooden sentinels were heading in their direction…


	14. XIV: The Monster And The Martyr

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Fans of the books, please be advised that the Woozy is being given an origin story in this chapter that is contrary to his lack of one in the books.**

* * *

><p>They thought their journey was going to end as Ojo and the Woozy tried to make their way through the ever-grumpy branches and tree limbs that threatened to batter and crush them as they dodged and ducked their way through the Fighting Trees that they needed to ride through in order to get to the Dainty China Country.<p>

The Woozy's enhanced speed certainly helped, although in the moment when one…and then two…lucky blows from one of the trees slammed down upon the cube-headed creature, throwing Ojo from his back, they thought it was over right there.

It was only when he heard the Woozy confirm that he was all right that Ojo had his unique friend unleash his secret weapon. "KRIZZLE-KROO!" the munchkin boy shouted.

And that was the end of their trials going through the Fighting Trees in the Quadling Country. Upon the burst of searing hot flame that emerged from the Woozy, the Trees…none of whom had made contact with the blast of fire…took the painfully obvious hint, and went idle. Once Ojo seated himself upon the Woozy's back, they were able to make it out of their forest.

"You think those words might have been a spell some wizard or witch was working on?" Ojo asked as they distanced themselves from the forest of the Fighting Trees.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Ojo." The Woozy replied. "I don't even remember who it was that _made_ me. If I ever find out that my creator was a spellcaster, you'll have been proven right."

Distancing themselves further from the forest, they finally came upon the high, smooth white wall made of fine china. They had spent almost two hours trying to make their way through the ever-belligerent trees in the forest following their fleet-footed arrival from their Munchkinland point-of-origin, and Ojo was relieved that they had arrived at the Dainty China Country with an hour to spare before the patch of six-leaf clovers would materialize.

It was just a question of finding out _where _it would manifest.

"I think I can get you over that wall." The Woozy noted as they analyzed the wall's height. "You'll have to step up on my head, though."

Ojo nodded as the Woozy rose up on his hind legs and leaned against the wall. "I'll get your front legs once I'm up there." The munchkin boy reminded as he climbed atop the Woozy's head. Ojo was easily able to access the top of the wall, and he pulled the Woozy up onto it. The area they had chosen was a densely-shadowed one, and so neither the Woozy nor Ojo were noticed as the box-headed creature slipped down to the ground and once again provided his head as a step for his munchkin friend to use in his descent to the ground.

They were both as quiet as possible as their feet slowly advanced upon the smooth, glazed white floor of the walled-in domain. They couldn't help but feel out of place seeing anything and everything around them…even the farm animals and the mountains within the walls…rendered in fine china. They also needed to kneel behind one of those mountains to keep from being noticed. They really did feel like intruders.

Assuming the six-leaf clovers didn't show up as china-wrought representations of what they were supposed to be, they figured that finding the patch should be easy, but doing so meant exposing themselves, and they didn't know how welcome they would be in a place like…

"Hello?"

Ojo and the Woozy curiously looked down…and saw a small boy, his body and his rugged clothes rendered in fine china…staring back up at them. Ojo just waved cordially, blushing in embarrassment.

"Are you one of those munchkin giants?" the boy asked, his own expression considerably curious.

"Uh…yeah." Ojo nodded slowly, speaking quietly. "I…hope that's not a bad thing."

"Well…don't break that mountain. I wanna be a world-famous climber, and you're hiding behind the tallest mountain in the whole country." The china boy gestured to the mountain, which looked a bit smooth to be climbable. "I've been waiting all my life to climb right to the top."

"But doesn't climbing require handholds?" The Woozy asked. "I don't think there's any handholds at all on _this_ mountain."

The boy smiled, and then held up his hands, which had little gloves upon them that looked to be of a rubber-like consistency. "That's why I have these!" He then held up a foot, which had a boot with a similar rubber surface. "And these! Azmo told me they could help get me up there real easy! I just have to take it real slow. I've been doing plenty of practice, too! Wanna see me do it?"

"Oh, no you don't, Kanee Vell!" came a distraught young female voice heading in their direction. The shoulders of the boy, Kanee, sank upon hearing this voice and his head drooped down. "You just couldn't wait until…"

The regally-dressed female, who was being followed by an entire entourage of what looked to be a bunch of guards, then gasped aloud in shock at the sight of Ojo and the Woozy. The guards with her reacted in a similar fashion.

The Woozy, however, had a curious expression on his face as he looked down to Kanee. "Wait a minute…what was that name you said?"

"Dear me…that strange beast _talks!_" One of the guards fearfully exclaimed, provoking equally fearful blubbering from his fellow guards.

"Who? Azmo?" Kanee replied. "That's the Court Wizard of the China Country. He made my climbing shoes and gloves."

Ojo, however, nodded respectfully to the young china-crafted woman with the royal appearance, staying on his knees. "My name is Ojo, your, uh…your majesty. Neither my friend here, the Woozy, nor I mean you or your people any harm. We're looking for something which is going to appear somewhere in your country in the next hour."

Judging by the young noblewoman's reaction, she seemed to know exactly what the munchkin boy was talking about. "I think I know what you're looking for. You want to see my peeking plants, don't you?"

Ojo frowned in confusion at this. "Peeking plants?"

"Yes! We are expecting them to appear in the garden space I provided them with in the next hour." The noblewoman replied. "Each of them has six cute little leaves in a circular pattern."

Which was all the proof Ojo needed for him to confirm the location of the very same Sixleaf he was looking for. "That's them! I just need one of them. Then, we'll be on our way. We'll step carefully on our way out, of course."

The Woozy also looked confused. "Why do you call them 'peeking plants'? I thought they were six-leaf clovers."

"Why, because they appear in one place for a couple of hours, and then they disappear!" The noblewoman explained. "They're very sacred growths. We never let anyone touch them." She then glanced warily to Ojo. "No matter _how _big they are."

Ojo sighed. "But we _need _one. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, has been petrified by a spell, and we need one of those clovers so we can make something which can break that spell!"

The noblewoman thought on this upon hearing the name, representative of the most benevolent source of magical power in the entire land of Oz. "What if we posed this problem to Azmo? Perhaps he can provide you with a means to break this petrification?"

Ojo looked skeptical. "And if he can't?"

"Actually, Ojo…I'd like to meet this Azmo." The Woozy suddenly interjected. "That name sounds…familiar to me."

"_Please _step carefully, then. Both of you." The noblewoman noted. "After the catastrophic events of the past, the last thing we need is any hint of a broken home caused by a wayward footfall from one of you giants."

"We'll be careful." Ojo assured as he and the Woozy began to take very careful steps, following the noblewoman and her guards. The Woozy noticed that the aspiring young climber was not among the china entourage, and when he looked back to the mountain, he saw the boy put a finger to his lips in indication to keep quiet about his headstrong attempt to ascend the mountain. A slight smile played on the Woozy's lips when he saw this, and he nodded in confirmation before facing forward and resuming his careful progress toward wherever the regal young woman was leading them to.

Ojo's right foot very nearly hit a fine china milkmaid milking her china-wrought cow, but he was able to keep his foot from doing anything other than give the milkmaid…and her cow…a terrible fright. Ojo blushed seeing the milkmaid's frown.

The size of the two visitors certainly presented a bit of a conundrum, however, as they were a bit too large to take into the country's castle, which was immense by the standards of the China Country, but nothing more than a large dollhouse to Ojo and the Woozy. The reactions of the fine china-wrought citizens were a bit more concerned, if not fearful, for the square-headed, four-legged creature the giant munchkin had brought with him. Even when the Woozy looked down and nodded in greeting, the people remained entirely wary.

The noblewoman stepped in front of the entrance to the castle, and then turned around to face the two oversized visitors. "I am the Princess of the Dainty China Country, if it was not terribly obvious already. The garden spot is behind this castle, so you should be able to…"

"What is all this _shadow _over the…" the robed, sorcerous-looking man…no different in his fine china appearance than everyone else…then stared up in shock upon the larger visitors after hurrying out to the front of the royal stronghold. "…castle…"

The Woozy's head angled down curiously to look upon this particular sorcerer. The cube of the creature's head then tilted to the side curiously. The sorcerer's own gaze was now lingering upon this four-legged creature.

The Princess arched an eyebrow, seeing the Court Wizard's reaction to Ojo's companion. "Azmo, the giant munchkin is Ojo. His friend here is called the Woozy. They came here to see the peeking plants."

After a moment of staring, Azmo's brows furrowed. "What kind of a _silly _name is 'Woozy'?"

The four-legged creature shrugged. "It doesn't sound so bad to me. I think it was what the munchkins started calling me as I was falling asleep from eating those tainted honeybees."

Azmo nodded his head thoughtfully. "So…you're both here to steal our sacred plants, eh?"

"We just need one clover." Ojo explained. "You mentioned peeking _plants_. That means there's more than one, right? What's the harm in us just taking _one?_"

Mutters could be heard from the other china citizens as the Princess turned to Azmo. "It would seem that the Good Witch of the North has been petrified. Now you must take that into consideration, Azmo, given how important Glinda is to all of Oz."

"What about the _other _good witch?" Azmo asked, arching an eyebrow. "Oz has two, does it not?"

Ojo frowned in confusion at this. He had only known of Glinda. The munchkin boy wondered if Azmo was quite possibly referring to Auntie Lo.

"_Well? Does it not?_" Azmo asked again. Ojo now noticed that the sorcerer was making this inquiry to him.

"I only know of Glinda." Ojo replied, shrugging. "I didn't know there was another."

"Hmph. She's probably still _hiding_. Pathetically." Azmo huffed.

"Can you provide these two with a means to break this petrification?" The Princess then asked Azmo.

The Court Wizard seemed to think deeply upon this, although both Ojo and the Woozy didn't quite find the somewhat malevolent expression on this wizard's face very appealing before he gave his answer. "I might be convinced to…part…with something useful, but…we are not the Emerald City with its barter-free silliness." He then looked to Ojo, firing a finger out at him. "You must part with something very valuable to me in return."

Ojo bit his lower lip nervously in his initial response. "What did you have in mind?"

A menacing smile was now on Azmo's face as his finger went from Ojo…

…to the Woozy.

"_Him._" Azmo replied.

Surprised expressions were on everyone's faces. All except Ojo, who shook his head as he replied.

"I'm sorry…I can't do that." Ojo answered. "The hairs on the Woozy's tail are part of what we need to break that spell. Besides…he's my friend, too."

Once again, Azmo smiled menacingly. "Indeed. Quite an impervious hide on this thing, isn't it? I should know." Azmo stepped forward towards the Woozy before dropping his entirely unexpected bombshell. "_I __made__him._"

The eyes of everyone other than Azmo widened in shock at this revelation.

Ojo then frowned skeptically. "Prove it."

Azmo chuckled at this. He then turned to the Woozy with a more serious face, and spoke two words.

"_Krizzle-kroo._"

The burst of flame did no damage whatsoever to the fine china surfaces…citizen or otherwise…that it touched, but a shocked Ojo had his proof.

Azmo, however, grinned amusedly before uttering another two words. "_Frizzle-fridge!_"

The Woozy now cast forth a blast of intense, frosty ice-blue energy. Thinking quickly, he had angled his head upward to keep from having the freeze blast affect anyone in front of him, and the blast came back down as a brief cascade of snowfall.

Azmo had a look of pride on his face. "Ice to restrain, fire to destroy."

Ojo looked to the Woozy now, astonished at this wild revelation.

"I remember now!" The Woozy then declared, his eyes wide. "I didn't _want _to destroy! That's why I left you! I didn't want to be a weapon!"

"But you _are _a weapon." Azmo nefariously noted. "You are _my _weapon. A weapon with no name, other than the one those silly munchkins gave you…but a weapon nevertheless."

The Princess now had a wary frown on her face as she scowled to Azmo, her hands on her hips. "And _why _would you want to create this…weapon…in the first place?"

"_Revenge._" Azmo replied. "Vengeance on that confounded Witch of the East! She sent those vile baboons to completely _decimate_ our country once. I was not about to let her destroy us again! _We needed protection!_"

"The _wall _is our protection!" The Princess reasoned. "And those wicked baboons were banished from the land by Glinda once the Wizard of Oz assumed power in the Emerald City!"

"And that witch girl from Kansas _crushed _the Witch of the East with her house!" Another china-wrought resident added. A cacophony of voices now chimed in with various loud statements, hoping to be heard above the other voices.

But when the hands of the Princess went up, the voices went silent.

"Be all that as it may, this…'Woozy'…remains _my creation_." Azmo reminded. "Give him to me, and I shall see what I can furnish unto you to free your good witch."

But the Princess stepped up to the Court Wizard, glaring right in his face. "Hold your tongue for a moment, _liar_." She firmly remarked.

Azmo shrank back with a visibly intimidated expression. He now looked very, very nervous.

"You seem to have forgotten yourself, haven't you?" The Princess continued. "I hardly think this giant creature could have been created _here. _So unless you're prepared to present some proof that you could ever exist _outside _of the Dainty China Country without becoming entirely frozen in place, then I hardly think you just 'popped' in, as you did years ago, just to help us rebuild following our country's destruction."

Ojo frowned in confusion. "Frozen in place?"

One of the citizens, a shopkeeper, answered the munchkin boy's query as the Queen and Azmo spoke unto each other. "That's what happens to anyone native to this country who steps beyond the wall. They go rigid, like statues. That's why we all stay here."

"Oh, come now, your highness…I am a wizard!" Azmo reasoned, grinning nervously. "Is that not proof enough? I…I developed a spell to offset that terrible effect! Is there not a china girl in the Emerald City as we speak to serve as evidence of this spell? Did this same girl not aid the great and powerful Wizard of Oz in driving away those witches?"

"And why could you not share this benefit with the rest of us?" The Princess gestured to the other citizens curiously watching the confrontation.

"Well…um…the spell could only affect _one._" Azmo nervously replied. "Please…did you not once observe that I was such a…a _charitable _sort for wanting to help you rebuild without any desire for compensation?"

"I have reason to believe you were biding your time before you sought to acquire one of those peeking plants, claiming _that _to be your repayment." The noblewoman then gestured to the Woozy. "And if we tried to stop you? You would have used _him._"

"Your highness, _please_…this is _preposterous!_" Azmo exclaimed. "You say you have reason? Present it now!"

The Princess smiled quite deviously at this, and she gestured for one of the guards. "Have the Joker Clown brought out." She whispered to him. The guard nodded, and gestured for three other guards to join him.

"This is a waste of our valuable time, your highness!" Azmo huffed. "I created that thing, and I want him back!"

"What if I don't _want_ to be with you?" The Woozy noted, frowning down upon the Court Wizard. "I'd rather be the friend Ojo is to me than the weapon I am to you!"

A look of fury was now on Azmo's face, and Ojo saw that the wizard's hands now began to glow. "How _dare _you talk back to your…"

"_FRIZZLE-FRIDGE!_" Ojo called out.

The blast of ice blue energy struck Azmo and literally encased him in a block of cold, hard ice. The others around him…including the Princess…instinctively recoiled from the blast, everyone screaming in their surprise. Within the transparent blue block, an expression of shock was on Azmo's face, and his arms had raised up. The glow at his hands, however, had naturally died out.

Ojo then looked over to the Princess, who was now being helped back up to her feet by the guards around her. "Your highness…honestly. We only need one clover, and I'm not about to trust someone who could lie to you to help us free Glinda otherwise."

"Oh, I don't believe he had any such means to begin with, dear boy." The Princess noted. "I do give him credit for helping us rebuild, but I always knew there was something more…untrustworthy…to that man than he let on…" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the guards coming back out with the very china-wrought Joker Clown she asked for. "…and we're about to find out why."

By this time, however, Ojo felt that the patch of clovers had manifested, as he figured that the requisite hour had been spent. Still…he did remember that the 'peeking plants', as the Princess called them, would remain there for three hours.

He just hoped this funny-looking clown's proof would not amount to a three-hour story, which he was otherwise curious to hear.

But the first thing the Joker Clown's eyes fell upon were the oversized visitors. He particularly noted the munchkin boy's curious gaze as his head tilted to the side.

"Munchkin boy…why do you stare at poor old Mr. Joker?" The colorfully-dressed minstrel began. "You're quite as stiff and prim…as if you'd eaten up a poker!"

Ojo, however, did find this particular china-wrought person particularly odd for the most visible of reasons. "Um…you're…you're all cracked up."

"Cracked up, indeed! Such is my game!" The Joker replied as he repositioned himself upside down, remaining balanced upon his head. "Scars or not, I'm a clown all the same!" He giggled merrily at this, spinning himself around in his mirth.

But the Princess felt it necessary to confide with Ojo and the Woozy. "One too many times trying to stand on his head resulted in a few, well, accidents. He's gone to our China Mender all too often, I'm afraid."

The Joker Clown then whirled around the Princess, who gasped in surprise. "My sweet! Your Majesty! Summoned me, did you?" The Clown then stopped in front of the solid ice block, his eyes settling upon the shocked expression that was frozen upon Azmo's face. He then angled his cracked face back to the Princess with a curious frown, leveling a finger to Azmo as he finished his habitual rhyme. "And _how _did…_this_…happen to you-know-who?"

The Princess smirked. "Long story, I'm afraid. I wonder, however, if you could share that, uh…story Azmo hated hearing with our larger guests? Quickly, though…they're a tad short on time."

"Well! I suppose, since _this_ sod has come down with a chill…" The Joker Clown then grinned defiantly unto Azmo's frozen expression. "…tell his hated story? I think I _will!_"

_Sit, for a spell, and listen quite clear,  
><em>_upon the lamentations of a wizard, and that, which he did fear!  
><em>_One witch to the east, and a green one to the west,  
><em>_"__More powerful than I? Surely, they jest!  
><em>_My very name is power, and my resolve as tin!"  
><em>_If only he knew the troubles he'd find himself in…_

Ojo enjoyed the vibrant energy of this Joker Clown…as did the Woozy…as he danced and pranced, entertainingly emphasizing each point made in the story as he continued it. A crowd began to gather as the colorful minstrel continued...

_"__As fair as they are, then fair, I shall be!  
><em>_Not a man, but a __woman__, naturally!"  
><em>_And with a flourish, and some manner of 'skiddly-ka-veil',  
><em>_From Wizard to Wizard-__ess__, and henceforth female!  
><em>_Alas, did they buy it? For a time, it seemed certain  
><em>_that there was no man behind this female curtain!_

At that point, the Joker Clown stopped, and with a fearful expression, he looked to the Princess warily.

The Princess lowered her head somewhat shamefully as all heads turned to her curiously. In the next quiet moment, she lifted it back up to explain. "This was the point where Azmo demanded he stop when he first tried to tell his tale to us." She then looked to the Joker Clown with a sweet smile. "Please continue."

The mirth and vibrance returned to the Joker Clown's cracked face as he resumed his tale…

_Where was I? Ah, yes, the fake femme!  
><em>_From whence the Wizard's troubles did stem!  
><em>_Our great white wall no witch could breach  
><em>_compelled them to confront their new ally and preach  
><em>_"__Build us a destroyer! A monster! A beast!  
><em>_Some manner of weapon at the very least!"  
><em>_And so, upon the fancy of an unbreachable hide,  
><em>_came a four-legged creature representing 'her' pride!  
><em>_But while 'she' desired for this beast to spread woe,  
><em>_a tingle upon his cube compelled him to say NO._

Ojo had to glance to the Woozy at this point, who was predictably absorbed by this lively tale. Both of them wondered how this Joker Clown could possibly know such things.

Perhaps there was more to this Clown than what he appeared to be?

_In 'her' rage, she ranted! It escaped! She FAILED!  
><em>_Losing her mind as she griped and wailed  
><em>_and…lo and behold…a bulge down there?  
><em>_And whatever happened to the breasts 'she' did bear?  
><em>_The jig was up! It was all a plan!  
><em>_The witches concluded…she was really a man!  
><em>_But the East Witch suspected this all along,  
><em>_for the faker, after all, was far too headstrong!  
><em>_A name as power, but a mind so little!  
><em>_Never expecting the witches to make him so brittle!  
><em>_And not much different from you or from me,  
><em>_we being residents of the China __Country!  
><em>_And so with the loser restrained, do not fear!  
><em>_What of his creation? Well…it seems he came HERE._

Gasps could be heard among all the gathered China Country residents as the Joker Clown gestured to the Woozy, who lowered his head in shame. "I…I don't wanna destroy anything. Honestly." He quietly lamented, looking down upon the citizens. "I don't wanna hurt _any _of you."

The guards were now looking around curiously. "Where did the Princess go?"

From within the castle, they all heard her voice call out. "Relax! I'm on my way back out there."

And when she stepped back out, she held a green stalk in one of her dainty hands...and upon the tip of this stalk was an arrangement of six clovers.

The Princess stepped right up to Ojo and held it up to him despite the surprised reactions and the gasps of her citizens and her guards. "Please take it." The noblewoman calmly commanded.

Ojo looked curious on this action. "But...what about your rule? I mean, you consider these plants sacred, don't you?"

The Princess smiled. "Well...in this case, I'm breaking that rule."

Ojo's eyes widened in surprise as he hesitantly brought his fingers down to grasp upon the clover's stalk. Placing it carefully in a pocket of his outfit, he looked back to the Princess. "What about Azmo?"

The Princess smiled. "We'll figure something out by the time that block of ice melts away."

At that point, it seemed that the Joker Clown had a little more to say. "Better the munchkin boy than the future thief within that ice! _Stealing_ a clover…to restore himself…would not have been very nice!"

The Princess smiled unto the Joker Clown. "Indeed. You are dismissed for the moment, old friend. Wait for me in the throne room, if you will." The Joker Clown responded with a most courteous bow, which was met with applause from the crowds, and he bowed to them in turn as he merrily began his merry sprint back into the castle.

Ojo looked down to the Princess in his puzzlement. "Honestly…how is it that he knows as much as he does? Your clown, that is?"

The Princess smiled at this. "Some say that in madness, there is wisdom." She gestured towards the Joker Clown as he made his way back inside. "Him obviously moreso than most. I'm afraid that's all I could say at the moment."

"I'm sorry if we were any trouble." Ojo remarked.

"Quite to the contrary. The very presence of your friend, the Woozy…and I might add that I find that name a most charming one…helped us to expose a potential traitor." The Princess assured. "You earned that clover, as far as I'm concerned. Besides…you're to use it for a justified purpose, yes? Glinda is, after all, a good witch who has helped us many times in our past. She even provided us with the walls that surround this very country. She didn't want to see the Wicked Witch of the East destroy our domain a second time, after all."

"Azmo obviously would have wanted me to bash down these walls." The Woozy surmised aloud. "But that's _never_ gonna happen, your highness. I promise."

Ojo nodded. "We need to be going now. We have other things to find."

"Of course." The Princess responded. "But please understand that for as long as you carefully step around our domain, you and the Woozy will always be welcome here."

Ojo smiled, offering a polite nod of his head. "Thank you, your highness."

Having knelt in one place for the lot of this incident, Ojo found it a little difficult to get to his feet, and he feared that he would lose his balance and topple down upon the castle quite catastrophically…

…but the munchkin boy was barely able to keep his balance as he rose to his feet. As carefully as they had advanced to the castle, they made their way to the nearest portion of the large white wall.

Before they set to climbing over it, however, Ojo curiously looked to the tallest mountain in the country, remembering Kanee Vell and his determination to climb the mountain.

He was just in time to witness the fine china-wrought boy reach the mountain's rounded peak. Smiling, he asked the Woozy to wait as he made his way over to the mountain.

Kanee looked ecstatic, standing upon the peak, when he spotted the larger munchkin coming toward him. "Ojo! I did it! I _did_ it!"

Ojo nodded, smiling. "Congratulations! Want a lift home?"

Kanee nodded, and Ojo took him in his hands after plucking him from the peak. He then placed the brave climber in close vicinity to the castle. The grateful climber waved goodbye happily as the munchkin boy made his way back to the Woozy.

Once he was back alongside his four-legged friend, they made their way over to the other side of the white wall, helping each other as they did before.

The Woozy looked a bit thoughtful, however, as Ojo once again mounted him. "I can't believe I was created by someone so…so…"

"Wicked?" Ojo guessed. He thought on his answer before he gave it to his four-legged friend. "Well, you tell me…which would you rather be? The Woozy that you are, or the monster Azmo wanted?"

"I guess…if I really _were_ the monster, Azmo wouldn't be as good a friend as _you've _been, Ojo." The Woozy thoughtfully replied. "I wish _you _were the one who made me…but even though that's not true, I'm still happy to call you a friend."

Although Ojo smiled at this, the munchkin boy now entertained a troubling thought. Azmo had created the Woozy, more or less, as a means to an end. A way to get in the good graces of those wicked witches.

The Woozy was needed by Lo, however, for the hairs on his tail.

For all the Woozy's developed respect for the munchkin boy, however, Ojo resolved to do something, following Glinda's restoration, to prove that the Woozy wasn't just a means to an end.

He resolved to make this friendship a lasting one.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand…" Dorothy's voice was heard to speak. "…my will was my own when last I wore those slippers."<p>

Master General Commander Belay considered himself lucky to see that both Ugu and Mombi were so deeply occupied with their stuffed visitors as he crouched low, keeping himself hidden against the balcony edge as he spied upon them, as opposed to doing what he was ordered to do: guard the room the old shoemaker had chosen to be his living quarters in the royal palace.

Which was once the very same place the Wizard of Oz once used for his own living quarters.

It was logically the largest and the most comfy of all the living quarters in the palace. Only the suite that had been picked out by the Scarecrow for Dorothy to inhabit was anywhere near as lavish.

It had become clear that Belay could not serve the interests of this clearly wicked old man any further than he already had. He felt like he had made a terrible mistake in agreeing to serve under him.

It was a mistake he was now determined to correct.

What Ugu had Mombi do to the maids was clearly the turning point, and he at least had the advantage of Ugu trusting him enough to tell him how important a certain mirror was to him. Protecting the room within which the mirror was held was to be Belay's responsibility, among other things, and he was not to leave that post unless commanded otherwise.

Belay wondered how powerful…how all-seeing and all knowing…a ruler Ugu would be _without_ it.

The Master General Commander quietly went back to the front of the room in question, and waited. With the wooden guards everywhere, it would be difficult for him to sneak into the room the moment he reached it and grab the prize he wanted to try and escape the city with.

Fortunately, he was able to detect patterns in their sentry routines, and there would be only one moment in which he could quickly breach the door to the room…which he conveniently had a key to…and step inside. He figured Ugu would deny him further access to the room after Belay's defiant outbursts following the punishment of the maids, but no such penalties had been inflicted.

At least, not yet, which made this moment as good a time as any to make this defiant attempt to sabotage this wicked new ruler of the land.

Once the moment arrived, Belay's work at the lock with his key was quick, and he was able to slip inside without being noticed at all.

His steps were silent as he moved deeper into the rooms of the Wizard's quarters, knowing exactly where to go to find the mirror.

Belay's first thought upon spotting it was that for such an important artifact of magic, Ugu would have taken steps to safeguard it somehow. It didn't seem logical for the shoemaker to entrust its complete safety to a man like the Master General Commander, no matter how loyal the soldier seemed. Yet, even if it _were_ booby-trapped somehow, he figured Jinjur would at least be satisfied knowing that he actually tried doing something _good _for once.

It was a satisfying-enough notion for him as he placed his munchkin fingers upon the sides of the mirror, and carefully removed it from the wall.

Belay, however, did not find himself stricken by any manner of spell in that moment. He still felt the same, and he still _looked _the same.

What he heard instead, in the moment that followed, was the thumping of several footsteps outside. They were all heading in his direction. Belay couldn't help but smile and shake his head. The mirror was indeed booby-trapped. Moving it would send all those wooden guards heading in the direction of whomever it was that had the mirror.

As well-trained a soldier as the round-bodied Belay was, however, he had already figured out his plan of escape as he pulled the coil of rope he had with him. At one end of this rope was an iron claw, and he rushed over to the balcony edge that overlooked the city streets below to affix the claw to the balcony's edge and work his way down to the street.

He waited for a brief moment. Belay wanted to be sure that the guards would at least be on their way up rather than intercept him down below. He wasn't sure if any of the guards outside of the palace factored into this apparent booby-trap.

Belay then heard the front doors of the palace open, and he was able to catch a glimpse of the two stuffed visitors…Dorothy Gale and the Scarecrow…leaving the palace. They seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, as well.

The door to the Wizard's quarters burst inwards, signaling Belay to begin his fast descent. He slid down the rope very quickly, ignoring the burning he felt at his calloused hands.

As he began to dash for the east gate, he figured that if he could not make it out, he would at least shatter the mirror upon the ground and destroy it completely. He began hearing many voices repeating the same two words.

"STOP! HIM!"

"STOP! HIM!"

"STOP! HIM!"

Scared citizens saw Belay making his mad dash towards the desired gate, and they began to follow him without saying a word. He ignored these people, though. All he cared about was to get the heck out of the city even if he had to bash his way through the gate as best he could.

But the wooden soldiers at the east gate had already shut the gates up, denying him access to the yellow brick road beyond. The Master General Commander began to hold the mirror up…

…but he then saw the citizens...a great many of them…rush over to the wooden guards and begin to tackle them down. Wooden soldiers rushing in to assist were similarly overwhelmed by the defiant citizens, two of which had gone for the door and opened it wide enough for the Master General Commander to pass through. Glancing behind him, he saw that citizens…and even some of the mouse maids…were impeding the progress of the wooden soldiers and guards on his tail.

Through that mess, however, two familiar-looking figures raced towards Belay unopposed. The Master General Commander recognized these two to be the very same stuffed individuals that had confronted Ugu and Mombi.

"What are you waiting for?" The Scarecrow hollered. "Keep _going!_"

Dorothy and the Scarecrow were at Belay's flanks as they headed over to…and then through…the east gate. Distancing themselves further from the bedlam they were hearing behind them, the trio continued to race along the yellow brick road as fast as they could.

The progress of his two stuffed allies were a bit more awkward, owing to their natures as stuffed humanoids, compared to Belay, who was handicapped not only by his rotund size, but also for the fact that he was flesh and blood, and thus prone to fatigue. It had been quite some time since the Master General Commander had last been involved in any kind of combat action, and the inactivity had clearly taken its toll on his figure.

Belay's pace ultimately began to slow as they moved, and it soon became apparent that Dorothy and the Scarecrow could now effectively outrun him, and they were still a considerable distance away from Munchkinland.

Dorothy hurried over to him. "Oh, dear…you look really tired!"

Belay panted heavily as he glanced behind him, confirming the presence of the wooden soldiers still advancing along the road towards them. "I'm not a…a _thing_, like them…" he then looked to the patchwork girl. "…or like you." He then handed the mirror off to Dorothy. "You have to let me go, dear girl. I'm too heavy for you to carry, and this mirror is weighing me down too…too much. This mirror cannot remain in Ugu's possession…any longer…if you value your being so…so discreet."

The patchwork girl was hesitant, however, as she took the mirror. "But…"

"Please, Dorothy! You cannot delay! Make my sacrifice a meaningful one! They will be here very quickly if you do not press on!" Tears now fell from his eyes as he turned his sad expression to the Scarecrow. "I owe Jinjur for my deception…your majesty…"

Seeing the wooden soldiers get closer, Dorothy and the Scarecrow began to move as Belay dropped to his knees. "You won't be forgotten, Belay! I _promise!_" The Scarecrow called out as the stuffed fugitives resumed their haste.

Regrets filled the head of the Master General Commander as he looked to the advancing wooden soldiers. Regrets for all the occasions in which he discredited Jinjur. He felt like he deserved what was about to happen to him. The rotund munchkin officer closed his eyes, knowing he would feel many wooden hands grab him at any moment.

But as Belay awaited the occurrence of this action, he instead heard them race right past him as if he weren't even there. Opening his eyes, he made an effort to trip some of them up, but they just got right back up and continued their progress.

Staggering back to his feet, Belay stared upon the wooden pursuers as he panted exhaustedly.

As the pursuers began to move through the forest portion of the yellow road, he heard the 'tut-tut-tut-tut' noise of a presence that had suddenly appeared behind him.

Quaking with fear, Belay slowly turned to face the old crone behind him. Mombi's arms were crossed in front of her chest as she shook her head in disappointment.

Belay, however, felt content to maintain his defiance. Even in the face of Ugu's most dreaded weapon. His brows furrowed and he flashed his teeth in anger, balling his hands into fists as he growled. "Do your worst, _witch-slave!_"

Mombi smirked. "As you wish…" She raised a glowing hand towards the Master General Commander, who was already feeling a terrible churning pain in his gut.

"…_pig_." Mombi angrily added, seeing the fat munchkin's nose turn upwards, beginning its change to a porcine snout as the tired soldier doubled over in agony. "We'll just save you for when we're hungry for _ham!_"

But even as Belay began changing so painfully, he was at least content that he had finally done something Jinjur might respect him for.

His last thoughts, as a munchkin, were a hope that Dorothy and the Scarecrow would make it the rest of the way…

…so that the Scarecrow could keep his promise.


	15. XV: Truth, Dare, and Consequence

Kanee Vell's head lowered as his sister, the Dainty China Princess, frowned upon him as he stood before her in the throne room of the castle.

But as much as she wanted to scold him for being so headstrong, she couldn't. He did, after all, make it back to the castle in one piece. There was, thankfully, no need for the China Mender to visit and tend to her brother.

Her frown, therefore, softened. "If you _must _try anything like this again, dear brother…can you at least have the patience to wait until I can bear _witness _to your accomplishment?"

Kanee's head lifted up, a bit amazed at what he had heard. "You…you wouldn't have stopped me?"

The Princess smiled. "I would have at least preferred to arrange for safety measures, at least, before you tried scaling that mountain…" She then rose and approached her brother. "…but you say you actually made it up there?"

Kanee nodded quite proudly. "I sure did."

"And yet…you made it back down in one piece as well?" The Princess now looked skeptical as one of her eyebrows arched up. "All on your _own?_"

Kanee lowered his head again. "Well…Ojo helped me get down. He even brought me back home."

The Princess nodded, and then clapped her hands twice. The old man both Kanee and the Princess knew to be the Royal Scribe stepped out with his large book under his arm. Next to him was a young boy dressed similarly to the Scribe who had a small wooden table with him. Placing it at an area the Scribe had indicated, the table was wide enough to accommodate the opened book, and the old man procured a quill.

"Take this down." The Princess requested as she stepped over to the Scribe, who prepared to write upon a fresh blank page. "As of this date, upon receipt of the royal seal that shall be affixed henceforth, it is the desire of the Dainty China Princess that her brother, Kanee Vell, be henceforth awarded the title and distinction of Kanee the Fearless and the Brave. Climber of the Highest Renown throughout the Dainty China Country, and Conqueror of the Country's Highest Mountain Peak. Henceforth, too, it shall be recorded for posterity that said mountain shall be re-christened Mount Kanee, in honor of the fearless and the brave young climber who had made the mountain his own."

Kanee was wide-eyed and speechless at this proclamation as the Scribe copied every word of it unto the record book. The Princess glanced at her brother and not only offered a slight smile as she spoke her proclamations, but a wink as well.

"Wow…" Kanee dropped to one knee, his face practically glowing with delight. "…thank you, your highness."

The Princess raised her head proudly. "Rise, Kanee the Fearless…or do you prefer Kanee the Brave?"

Kanee shrugged, smiling, as he got back to his feet. "I'll take either one!"

Both of them giggled amusedly…

…and then, their moment was cut short by the sound of a very loud *BANG*! A cacophony of voices followed as both Kanee and her sister rushed outside the castle. A dozen of the castle's guards followed behind them both.

Scared and concerned citizens of the country intercepted them at the entrance, and they began to speak in a completely incomprehensible stream of nervous and scared gibberish before the Princess raised her hands up, commanding silence with this gesture alone.

The voices died down as the Princess fixed her eyes on one of the citizens. "Just you, now. What has happened?"

"Your highness…" the young milkmaid began. "…it's the Court Wizard, Azmo! There was a loud explosion…ice everywhere…three guards needed to be taken to the China Mender!"

The Princess feared to ask, but she had to. "And…Azmo?"

The milkmaid's head lowered. "_Gone, _your highness."

* * *

><p>It seemed hopeless. Dorothy and the Scarecrow were just not getting enough distance from the pursuing wooden soldiers. Although the entrance to Munchkinland was definitely near, they both knew the soldiers would be on them first.<p>

Yet, they continued forward undaunted, the patchwork girl clutching tightly to the magic mirror Belay had entrusted to her.

The hands of the front lines of soldiers were within inches of being able to grab them…

"NOW!" yelled a male voice to Dorothy's left.

Human bodies dressed in purple-colored military uniforms surged from the sides of the yellow brick road…hidden by the crops on both sides of the road and near Farmer Bolger's farm…and leaped upon the wooden soldiers, expertly subduing them. There were more than enough of the gillikin soldiers to neutralize every one of the eleven wooden soldiers that had left the Emerald City to pursue whomever had stolen the magic mirror.

Captain Rigorick rose to his feet as his men made sure the wooden soldiers were kept from continuing their pursuit. He then looked in the direction of the two stuffed fugitives moving towards Munchkinland. They were still going. They never once stopped to see who had saved them.

The Captain smiled, and then returned his attention to his men.

The munchkin citizens of Munchkinland motioned for their stuffed allies to race right through the open gates, and Auntie Lo heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Dorothy and the Scarecrow unharmed.

But she immediately stepped towards Dorothy, wide-eyed, upon seeing the mirror she had brought with her.

Dorothy handed the mirror to Lo as she reached out for it. "Belay said this was important. We figured you might know a little more about it." The patchwork girl reported.

"I should hope so, Scraps." Lo replied, holding the large mirror in her munchkin hands. "This mirror is mine! It was stolen from me a long time ago!"

Dorothy and the Scarecrow spoke as one in their surprise. "_Stolen?_"

"Yes…sometime after I had visited an old shoemaker in the Gillikin Country." Lo explained. "My shoes were in need of repair, after all."

The Scarecrow caught on to this after what he had learned about Ugu. "Shoemaker, eh? That's funny…that nasty old man who's in the seat of power in the Emerald City said he was a shoemaker, too. He told us he _made_ those ruby slippers Dorothy used to get home."

Dorothy nodded. "And they're on Mombi's feet now, too! She's under Ugu's control!"

Lo sighed, lowering her head. "And Ojo hasn't returned from his mission to find what we need. At least, not yet…" She raised her head back up. "…but you say that a _shoemaker _is in the throne seat? What an odd stroke of fate…but then, if he has _Mombi _under his control…dear me! We'll need to use this mirror to confirm where Glinda has been taken to. I'm certain this will help us find her despite her current condition. Come with me, both of you. We can't waste any more time!"

Dorothy and the Scarecrow followed Lo into her home, where Mombi's old servant boy helped her install it upon a wall. "I have a feeling that if Mombi knows you have this, she'll use those ruby slippers to take her right to this location, so we need to work fast!"

Having replaced a picture frame with the mirror, Lo stood before it as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the freed, nameless servant boy stood behind her. "I beg you…reveal to us the location of Glinda, the good witch of the north!"

After a moment of waiting, however, all the mirror revealed to them was their own reflections.

Dorothy looked to the Scarecrow in despair. "Could this be a…a fake?"

Lo shook her head emphatically. "No, no…this is the very same mirror, and it remains quite effective." She then turned to Dorothy. "The thing is…you can never lie to it about the true identity…and the rightful status…of whomever it is you're trying to find."

The patchwork girl tilted her head curiously. A puzzled look was on the Scarecrow's burlap face as well.

But Lo turned back to the mirror and sighed in resignation. "Reveal to us the location of Glinda, the good witch…of the _south_."

The eyes of the Scarecrow widened, as did those of the servant boy, as the image of the mirror became a blur, and changed color to a bright tan as a dark shadow in the shape of a single female figure began to manifest in the middle of what looked to be a sand-swept terrain. The image finally sharpened, revealing the presence of a marble statue standing idly within what looked to be a treacherous desert. Flanking this statue were the frozen, marble-bodied semblances of Doctor Pipt and Margolotte as well.

Lo frowned angrily upon seeing this. "That merciless old shoemaker had Glinda taken to the Deadly Desert! _Monstrous! _No living man or beast can set foot in that desert without being turned into sand!" The white-robed munchkin then turned to Dorothy and the Scarecrow. "That makes the both of you our best chance at freeing her. You can both traverse that desert unharmed, since neither of you are human!"

"But…well, it may not be possible for us to be tired out…" Dorothy lowered her head at this admission. "…but being stuffed as we are, we can't move very fast."

"And those wooden soldiers could come after us, too." The Scarecrow reasoned. "None of them are meat people anymore, either."

The boy frowned in confusion at this. "Meat people?"

The Scarecrow confided his explanation to the boy with a wink. "That's just a word us magic creations use to describe humans from time to time."

A commotion could now be heard outside. Dozens of munchkin voices, and a growling, familiar old female voice diverted the attentions of a now pale-faced Lo and her resident friends to the front door.

They were all astonished by the pleasant surprise that awaited them when Lo opened the door.

At the apparent direction of the Mayor of Munchkinland, munchkins from all over the community had apparently set upon a struggling, flailing Mombi like an angry mob! They had her down on the ground, one of them stuffing a rag into her mouth to keep her from speaking any spells, and they held her legs apart to keep her from clicking her heels together!

The Mayor's peripheral vision caught sight of Lo and her friends, and he turned to them holding his head up proudly. "Justice is _served!_" He announced with an emphatic nod.

Lo, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the boy all smiled wide at the sight of this unexpected perk. "Munchkinland to the rescue, eh, Scraps?" Lo noted relievedly to the patchwork girl.

The boy nodded. "Maybe we can find a way to get those shoes off her feet."

"Not before we prepare Dorothy and the Scarecrow for their journey, dear." Lo replied. "Quickly, now…to my workshop below! We can't waste the time the munchkins have so graciously given us!"

* * *

><p>Ugu stared, for a long moment, at the space on the wall where his mirror once hung. A look of absolute dread was on his face.<p>

But then, his hand went to a bulge in one of pockets of his brown vest, and a partial smile now played on his lips.

Still…the loss of the magic mirror was a considerable setback. No longer could he spy upon those he deemed dangerous, as he had been doing with Dorothy Gale. He now had to try his hand at guesswork based on what he had learned about her during those moments when he so shamelessly eavesdropped on her.

He was never much for strategy, however. Such was the reason the old shoemaker convinced Master General Commander Belay…one of his shoe clients..to join in his mad little scheme to take control of Oz. All he needed to do was lie to the gullible, decadent little munchkin. Assure him that he would bring "a new age of peace and prosperity" to Oz.

Logically, he fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

But a voice interrupted his chain of thought. "Tho…no more playing 'peek-a-boo' with my friendth, eh? Thervth you _right!_"

Ugu angled a dirty look to Jellia Jamb, frowning upon him from a shadowy corner of the room. He didn't speak a word, but lingered his nasty glare upon the mouse maid.

Jellia began to approach him, one slow step at a time, as she spoke once again, ignoring the lisp her larger incisors were forcing her to bear. Anger rose in her voice. "What maketh you think YOU have what it taketh to rule Oth?" She fired out a furry finger towards him in emphasis of this. "How could you let Mombi _do _thith to uth?" She stamped a padded foot in emphasis of this statement.

Ugu's expression began to darken. He visibly shook with a rising anger.

Jellia was close to the old man now. "Onth my friendth thet Glinda free, you'll wish you were…you were shining _shoeth!_"

The old shoemaker burst forward, grabbing Jellia's arms and shoving her against the nearest wall. "YOU MIND YOUR MUZZLE, RAT!" He roared, quickly turning Jellia's defiant sneer into a look of utter fright as she slammed into the hard surface behind her. "You think all I need to make you all fear me is an enchanted mirror I stole from a cowardly witch? If I have to put up with any further meddling from your friends, they will bear witness to how much damage I can _truly _cause to this entire city!"

Looking right into the furious old man's eyes, Jellia could tell that he was dead serious. This was no pose. Somehow, he had another trick up his sleeve. She didn't know what it was, nor could she think clearly due to her inescapably timid nature as a mouse. Jellia, despite herself, was absolutely terrified as Ugu continued to stare furiously upon her.

"_Never_…cross…a Herku, _mouse._" Ugu growled, feeling Jellia's arms quake with fear as he gripped them. The next menacing words he spoke were growled in the mouse maid's large, round, and furry right ear. "If we wanted to, we could crush every bone in your _bodies!_"

"Pleeeath…" Jellia frightfully whispered. "…pleeeeath let me go…I…I have…work to do…y…your highneth…"

"BAH!" The old shoemaker shoved Jellia towards the door to the room. "Get on with it, then, you sniveling _rodent!_"

Hurrying out the door, Jellia ran a short distance from the room, and then crouched down on her furry, digitigrade legs. Crossing her arms in front of her in an effort to calm herself following the vicious outburst, the mouse maid took deep, relaxing breaths in her want to stop her body from shaking so terribly.

Every moment she remained in her furry body, she hoped that in the very next moment, the tide would turn, and Glinda would march through the gates of the royal palace, restoring everyone in sight, and subduing this evil old shoemaker so she could think of a just punishment for his wicked deeds.

Although she was beginning to feel hungry for cheese, she tried to ignore it as best she could in her continuing hope for a reprieve. Just as she tried to ignore the incessant wiggling of her nose. Clearly, Jellia was starting to lose her tolerance for what Mombi forced her and the other maids to become.

She _hated _being a mouse!

* * *

><p>Of all her experiences as a patchwork girl, this was undoubtedly the strangest…and at the same time, the scariest…of moments Dorothy Gale had experienced. Lo realized the request would be tough for the former Kansas girl to accept, but given Dorothy's inherent bravery and understanding, she relented to the request. As the Scarecrow had never known life outside of being what he had always been, it didn't bother him to consent to the munchkin witch's request.<p>

And so, for Lo to do what she deemed it necessary to do, the unstuffed remnants of both the patchwork girl and the Scarecrow were laid side-by-side. Dorothy felt a distinct, and quite scary, draining effect as Lo removed the cotton stuffing. She constantly spoke words of kind consolation…and assurances that every little fiber of what the munchkin witch had removed would be returned to the interiors of the patchwork quilt…as she emptied Dorothy's enchanted body-space.

Logically, she could not move one inch. It was as if she herself had been petrified. All feeling in her body was gone as well, and she couldn't help but feel vulnerable. If she were less of the kind of girl Dorothy Gale naturally was, she would probably begin losing her mind over what she was experiencing.

But Dorothy trusted Lo enough to bring them both back from this dreadfully and lifelessly neutral state as quickly as she could, and although Lo's work was quite thorough and very careful in her treatment of the separated portions of the stuffing for each of her friends with various herbs and salves and oils…all of it magically absorbed into the cotton and the straw through Lo's careful incantations…that she was able to finish the work she needed to do on the stuffing for the heads of both Dorothy and the Scarecrow within ten tense minutes.

The nameless servant boy watched as Lo worked, and helped with every request that the munchkin witch made. Lo even smeared a dab of one of the oils playfully on the boy's nose at one point, and they both giggled.

The boy packed the straw stuffing back into the Scarecrow's burlap head, while Lo re-inserted every fiber of the cotton stuffing into the space of Dorothy's patchwork skin. The former Kansas girl finally felt sensations and thought processes return to her consciousness, her pearl-toothed mouth and scarlet tongue once again being able to move. Similarly, the Scarecrow's eyes began to move around as well, as did his own burlap mouth.

Lo smiled as Dorothy looked up to her. "There, now. That wasn't too bad, was it?"

Dorothy's head shook to the sides. "I can feel my head, but…"

Lo giggled. "The rest of your stuffing still needs to be worked on, dear. I figured I would begin with your heads before I continued with the rest, so you and the Scarecrow would at least be able to speak with each other while I'm working."

Dorothy smiled. "I appreciate that, Lo. Thank you."

"Indeed! Thank you!" The Scarecrow added. He then looked to the boy. "And thank _you!_"

The boy smiled, nodding in acknowledgement. His face then went serious. "How does it feel to be…well…un-stuffed?"

"I couldn't tell you!" The unstuffed Scarecrow replied. "I can't feel a thing!"

"Nor can I!" The patchwork girl's head added. "I must say…of all the things I've had to feel from being turned into this, this is certainly the strangest!"

The boy tilted his head, looking to Dorothy with concern. "It…didn't hurt, did it?"

"To be un-stuffed? Not at all!" The patchwork girl replied. "It just, well, felt like I was being tired out really quickly."

"Why do you ask?" The Scarecrow wondered aloud.

The boy went quiet in thought for a moment, and then shrugged. "I guess I…I'm kinda wondering what it would be like to be a stuffed person, like the both of you. I mean…not being able to eat, or sleep, or get tired…"

"Oh, it's not an easy thing to un-learn." Dorothy responded. "Remember, too. I didn't _ask _to become this. Mombi turned me into this with a wicked magic spell."

"It doesn't look like it's bothering you, though." The boy thoughtfully observed. "You two look really nice together, too. You should court each other."

It was difficult for Dorothy and the Scarecrow to come up with a reply to this. Part of the reason was for the obvious fact that they _had _been courting each other. It also seemed natural that each of them wondered how the other would respond to the boy's unexpected observation.

It was Dorothy, however, who broke the silence that followed. "Well…we'll see…what Glinda thinks when we bring her back."

Fortunately, the boy nodded in understanding. He was then called over to assist Lo once again with her work.

The silence that followed between Dorothy and the Scarecrow was a tense one, but the Scarecrow felt compelled to say something. "Shouldn't be much longer. In fact, I think Lo should be finished in a few minutes!"

Dorothy's face still looked thoughtful.

"Please, Dorothy…" The Scarecrow tenderly asked. "…please, tell me what you're thinking. I know you weren't always what you are now, but…well, I wouldn't know _what _to say if Glinda left the issue of restoring you up to me."

Dorothy also sounded troubled when she spoke her reply. "I think I'd feel the same way, if…if she asked me…honestly, I…I'm starting to get _used_ to being this way. I know that sounds crazy, but…"

There was more he wanted to say that would have sounded contrary to the way she felt at the moment, but the Scarecrow didn't want to upset Dorothy. Particularly in her experiencing this temporary, but uniquely and understandably troubling handicap. "Well…like you said, we'll see what Glinda thinks. I mean…I know how she is about transformation magic…but if she understands how happy we are together, maybe she'll make an exception, y' know?"

Dorothy only spoke one thoughtful word in response. "Maybe."

They watched Lo work her magic and her witchcraft in silence for the rest of the time in which they waited to be re-stuffed. Even through the ritual she performed using a magic circle she had drawn upon the ground, the both of them were in deep thought upon the very words they had shared between each other, and upon the words the servant boy had spoken as well.

Moments later, Lo and the boy returned to Dorothy and the Scarecrow, carefully re-stuffing both of their bodies carefully, and not missing one fragment nor fiber of what they had pulled out. As the cotton stuffing returned to her body, Dorothy could already feel that her limbs were much more sturdy, and arguably human-like, as feeling returned to each limb that Lo finished stuffing. The Scarecrow felt similar physical stability as the boy returned the freshly-treated and enchanted straw stuffing to the clothes of the former king of Oz.

They both rose back to their feet practically at the same time, getting a feel for their bodies once more. Dorothy felt particularly amazed at the way she felt now. "I…I feel a little more…_human_."

"Like you're not so prone to falling, right?" The smiling Scarecrow noted as the servant boy went back upstairs to answer a loud knocking at the front door.

Dorothy nodded in response, smiling back. She then looked to Lo. "This feels wonderful! I think we could outrun those wooden soldiers for _sure _now!"

"Well, you won't be any faster than you were when you were flesh and blood, but you'll at least be capable of stable movement now." Lo noted. "Now we just need to wait for Ojo to return."

"I hope he didn't have too much trouble getting what we need." Dorothy remarked as she followed the munchkin witch. "Not so much the water, but…"

Lo opened the panel leading back into her house at that point…

…and all eyes stared in surprise upon a certain munchkin boy looking down upon them. The servant boy stood just behind him.

"I've got them, Auntie Lo." Ojo smiled, presenting a six-leaf clover in one hand, and carefully dropping a bucket of water down with his other hand. "_Both _of them."

* * *

><p>It was easy for Mombi to ignore the prattlings of the angry munchkins as they called out hateful things to her in passing. She was, after all, comforting herself with fond memories of a time when she tried teaching a petulant child in the folly of crossing her…<p>

_"__It WORKED! It WORKED!" young Mombi jumped up and down in wicked glee as she looked down upon the older man who was now nothing more than a croaking toad. _

_But the gasp of another young girl behind them attracted Mombi's attention, and the wicked young witch let out an exasperated sigh. The blond young girl's eyes were locked on the toad Mombi had changed._

_She then looked to Mombi in disbelief. "What have you DONE to my daddy?"_

_"__NO one crosses Mombi anymore! Not even your dad!" The young spellcaster cruelly replied. "Serves him right for yelling at me!"_

_An angry look was now on the blond girl's face as she began to move forward…_

_…__but Mombi flung a stick that had fallen from a tree to the girl, and the python the stick became wrapped around the girl's neck and began to squeeze the life out of her. She dropped to her knees as she struggled, gasping for air as Mombi chuckled wickedly._

_"__I guess it's YOUR turn now, eh?" Mombi gloated. "Well, it's only fair, right? Your dad's a toad, your mom's DEAD…you might as well…"_

_But the blond girl's anger seemed to stir something in her as she pulled at the python with hands that now glowed with a bright golden light. Once she was able to lift the python up and off her neck, the python resumed the form of a harmless wooden stick._

_Mombi looked alarmed now. She didn't expect this silly bookworm of a tutor's pet to manifest magic powers! Whispering more words of magic, she slapped her palms down to the ground, and then lifted them up, her eyes locked on the blond girl._

_Distracted by the need to gulp down gasps of air after being constricted so tightly, thick vines began to grow beneath the blond girl. They wrapped around her body and once again began to squeeze at her young frame. Mombi now wanted this girl crushed completely. She refused to let this young blond girl become a potential threat to her plan to become the most powerful witch in the Gillikin Country._

_Such was the agony of this new onslaught that the blond girl began to black out. Mombi figured she was already looking forward to being reunited with her mother, who was herself a casualty of another wicked witch…_

_…__but as Mombi saw the blond girl lapse into unconsciousness, both the girl and the vines were now encased in a large bubble, one that looked all too familiar to the gillikin witch. Within the bubble, the vines dissolved completely, leaving the motionless girl floating within it._

_As the blond girl dropped to the ground, lost to unconsciousness, Mombi tried to hide her fear as she looked around, approaching the unconscious girl and pulling a knife from her robes._

_But a surge of pure kinetic energy sent Mombi hurtling into a nearby tree, smashing her against it with such force, she herself began to black out._

_The last thing she saw before the images blurred to blackness was the adolescent redhead witch…Glinda…stepping over to the blond girl's unconscious form._

_Mombi was certain that even under Glinda's tutelage in witchcraft, assuming she would even accept her, that pathetic blond girl…whose name was Locasta…would never be a threat to her._

_After all…Mombi's most valuable lesson in learning witchcraft was that even when faced with someone more powerful than her…_

_…__she who angers one, conquers one._

* * *

><p>Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Ojo, and the servant boy all approached where the munchkins outside of Lo's home had taken the wicked gillikin witch they had managed to subdue. It seemed that the munchkins were taking turns in trying to pry the ruby slippers off.<p>

The patchwork girl stared thoughtfully at the struggling witch. As wicked as she knew Mombi to be, she couldn't feel as angry as everyone else. Even if this was the very same witch who tricked her into becoming a milkmaid on her farm.

Dorothy felt compelled to ask her questions as Mombi's bound limbs struggled against the bonds that kept them apart as the bindings hovered her above the ground, giving her body the appearance of an "X" as Mombi's gaze found the patchwork girl she had made with her wicked magic.

"Not so tough _now, _are you?" The frowning Scarecrow defiantly chided.

"I say we _melt _this foul miscreant!" The Mayor of Munchkinland declared. A cacophany of agreements went up among the surrounding munchkins.

"We _can't _melt her." Dorothy revealed, to everyone's shock. Even the Scarecrow found this hard to believe as the patchwork girl thought on her response even as she spoke it. "I…I heard Dorothy Gale already tried. According to Lo, the only reason the Wicked Witch of the West melted was because she was _cursed_. We don't know who cursed her, or why, but…water won't kill Mombi." The silver buttons of her eyes roamed the other munchkins as she spoke. "We shouldn't kill her, though. We shouldn't kill _anyone_. Not even Mombi. That wouldn't make us any better than _she_ is." She gestured to Mombi in emphasis of this.

"Scraps, this is _ridiculous!_" The Mayor huffed. "I believe even Dorothy Gale would concede to a need to do away with this vile sorceress!"

"No! Scraps is right!" The Scarecrow emphatically interjected. "You all know the story by now, don't you? Dorothy didn't even _want _to kill those witches! The Witch of the West only got hit with water because Dorothy wanted to put out a fire that nasty ol' witch threw at me!"

The voice of Philomena was heard next. "What of Dorothy, though? I fear she was captured by that terrible new wizard!"

Dorothy began to respond to this, but the Scarecrow beat her to it. "She was. She was locked in her quarters in the royal palace, and…and half her body, from the waist down, was turned into pure marble!" This generated a great many terrified gasps. Mombi, however, rolled her eyes in obvious disbelief. "Only Glinda can save her from that imprisonment, and that's just what Scraps and I are gonna do! We're gonna bring Glinda back! We're gonna break that spell, and she'll make everything right as rain!"

"And we know where to find her, too!" Dorothy added.

As the other munchkins uttered a loud burst of cheers with every hopeful statement Dorothy and the Scarecrow made, however, the nameless servant boy went to one of the ruby slippers and began pulling at it. As it had been with all of the other munchkins who tried, the glowing red shoes would not pull away from her feet at all.

"Maybe if we tried pulling them off at the same time…" Ojo went to the other shoe and, at the munchkin boy's signal, began pulling at the shoes in unison.

Once again, the shoes didn't budge.

Dorothy placed a stuffed hand on the servant boy's shoulders. "Magic must be holding those shoes to her feet. I guess she'll always be stuck with them."

"Maybe not."

Lo's voice compelled everyone to turn their heads to her. As the munchkin witch stepped towards Mombi, she held a tall staff, the head of which formed a large, stylized letter 'L'. It was huge by munchkin standards, but was about as tall as the average spellcaster's staff from a human-sized perspective.

She slowly waved the head of this staff, which now glowed with a strong purple light, over each of the ruby slippers. The malevolent red glow seemed to brighten angrily before they resumed the very same shade of glittering ruby red they had when Dorothy wore them. They looked much less menacing now.

Lo then turned to the servant boy. "Try removing them now." She calmly requested.

The boy nodded, approaching Mombi once again. His hands returned to the surfaces of the glittering slippers.

This time, however, they came off quite easily. Gasps of amazement could be heard from the munchkins paying witness to this, and the servant boy's eyes widened.

Mombi breathed in sharply through her nose, her eyes squinting shut as the mental connection to Ugu was severed. Blinking rapidly, she looked confused as she continued to writhe against her bonds.

She also looked a little less menacing in appearance compared to when she had the shoes on her.

Lo was uncharacteristically grim-faced as she shook her staff once, causing the head of the staff to go from its strong purple emanation to a bright golden light. The old munchkin then planted the other end of this staff deep into the ground near Mombi.

"Should you so much as whisper anything remotely resembling a magic spell, your voice will be permanently removed." Lo sharply warned. She then turned to the Scarecrow and spoke with a much softer voice. "You may remove the rag in her mouth now."

The Scarecrow nodded as he stepped over to Mombi, placing the more human-shaped fingers of the glove that was his right hand upon the rag. With a firm grip, she then tugged it out of the old crone's mouth.

Mombi panted once the thick rag was out of her mouth. She then flashed a wicked grin when her eyes fell upon Lo.

The munchkin witch, however, looked to Dorothy and the Scarecrow. "The antidote you'll need to free Glinda is almost…"

Mombi's wickedly defiant tone, however, interjected. "So now most of these munchkins know who you _really _are…don't they, _Locasta?_"

The concerned eyes of Dorothy and the Scarecrow…indeed, every munchkin in the area…turned to the munchkin witch, who reacted to this revelation as if she had been painfully stung.

"Yeeeeesss…still hurting over that little condemnation you had declared upon poor, innocent, harmless Millicent Thrombey, aren't you?" Mombi taunted. "Those gillikins wouldn't believe you even if they had the truth staring them in the face! You _betrayed _the covenant Glinda had you swear to when she made you her coven-sister just to create that little stalemate with the east and the west witches! You wanted Millicent Thrombey _dead!_"

Memories Locasta had wanted to suppress were now spilling forth from her subconscious as her head lowered. She shut her eyes in a vain effort to shove them aside as Mombi continued to gloat.

"You're not even a proper _munchkin_, are you?" Mombi grinned, knowing this revelation would be just as painful. "But it makes sense, doesn't it? Gillikins don't _murder _their kin, do they? No matter _how _wicked they are. Innocent…until proven guilty, yes?"

Locasta squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to fall from them. It clearly looked like she was about to lose her patience. "Stop…please _stop_…"

But Mombi was clearly going for the killing blow in her condemnations. "Locasta can _never _be the good witch of the north that she _used_ to be, can she? After all…good witches _never _kill. Especially not…a _gillikin _witch!"

Locasta then pulled a knife from beneath her robes and charged angrily forward towards Mombi. The Munchkinland Mayor, the Scarecrow, and Dorothy were quick to intercept her. "NO!" Dorothy cried out. As their bodies were magically fortified, the grips of both the Scarecrow and Dorothy were strong enough to hold the angry munchkin where she stood as tears continued to stream down her face.

"I CHOSE A MUNCHKIN LIFE FOR THE _HUMILITY_ IT GAVE ME!" Locasta hollered, her munchkin face reddened. "How _dare _you judge me! You _know _I'm more powerful than you!" Her face looked very menacing as she spoke her next words. "I could _kill _you if I wanted to!"

"Maybe, Locasta…" Mombi replied, through her satisfied grin. "…but I'm certainly _smarter _than you."

Dorothy tried speaking, in a most desperate and pleading tone, unto Locasta's ear in consolation. "Please let that knife go! I don't care who you are…_what _you are…you'll always be Auntie Lo to me!"

"If you kill her, you…you'll become a wicked witch yourself!" The Scarecrow added, speaking unto her other ear. "You don't want that, do you?"

Locasta's eyes squinted shut again as another stream of tears rolled from them. The grip on her knife, however, softened to the point where it finally dropped to the ground.

The Scarecrow now fixed an angry gaze on Mombi as Locasta began to calm down. "This is the thanks Lo gets for releasing you from Ugu's control? Don't you realize you were his _slave?_"

"Hah! Apparently, we both wanted the same thing!" Mombi shot back. "But I'll deal with that treacherous old fool in due time."

"That may not be such a good idea."

Yet another familiar voice…one Ojo, nor the Woozy, had not heard since she had been left in the Emerald City…interrupted the moment as the glass-wrought cat tinked into view.

"What do you mean?" Ojo asked.

"That old man mutters to himself a lot." The cat replied. "Try as it did, my pink brains couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Some kind of…zozoso…Sozozo…something like that."

Not even Mombi could comprehend this, however, and a lot of puzzled expressions were exchanged when the cat looked to the group…and the crowds…for any possible explanations.

"Well…whatever it is, I can only guess that whatever he was talking about is bad news." The glass cat surmised aloud.

"Boy…" Lo motioned for Mombi's old servant boy to approach her. "…get me back home, please."

"Yes. Be a good little servant boy…_your highness_." Mombi defiantly growled.

Those two words made the boy stop in his tracks for a moment. He then shook his head and allowed Lo to put her arm around his shoulder. He then led her away from Mombi, speaking consoling words. He carried the pair of ruby slippers with him, in his other hand.

Disgustedly, the other munchkins in the area walked away, knowing Mombi…for the moment…was no longer a threat. The Mayor spat on the ground in front of where the old crone was bound before he, too, stepped away. All Mombi did in response to this gesture was to snort in derision.

The Scarecrow started to pull Dorothy away…but the patchwork girl obviously wanted to give the witch a piece of her own mind. "You thought you could hurt me by doing what you did to me…but you _didn't_. You made me _happy_. I _like _being this way! We can go right into that desert and break that spell…and it's all thanks to you! You…you defeated _yourself!_"

"Oh, no, 'Scraps'." Mombi menacingly purred. "It's your broken heart I'm looking forward to...and if not yours, then certainly _his!_" She glanced to the Scarecrow in emphasis before looking back on Dorothy. "You think I didn't know what I was doing when I turned you into that? Made you no different from your beloved Scarecrow? I _knew _the fires of romance would ignite between you, dearie. Just like I know Glinda will take it all away from you unless you leave her in that desert where she belongs."

Dorothy's head lowered at this. She wanted to be able to say something in her defense, but she couldn't.

And neither could the Scarecrow.

"Oh, go on. Admit it." The wicked witch continued. "Admit that I'm smarter than I look. Even compared to _you, _Scarecrow. Neither of you can deny that even when Mombi loses…Mombi _wins, _too."

The old crone's murmurs of giggling amusement steadily grew into a full-on, loud cackle as all four of her limbs flailed insanely in her bonds. Both Dorothy and the Scarecrow did not give her the benefit of a reaction, the Scarecrow placing an arm around the patchwork girl in consolation as they stepped away. Ojo and the Woozy watched their two stuffed friends go, casting one more look of disgust upon Mombi before walking towards Locasta's munchkin home.

Only the glass cat continued to look curiously up at the cackling witch, her glass-wrought tail waving slowly to and fro, as Mombi continued to flail and growl fruitlessly.

And although his more pressing interest was in Ojo and the Woozy, an unseen figure…this one made of fine china…also cast a curious and lingering glance to the glass cat from the shadows of his hiding spot.

* * *

><p><strong>To the usurper of the throne of Oz –<strong>

**Your presence has not gone unnoticed. **

**With the news of your cruel imprisonment of Dorothy Gale and the overthrow of the Scarecrow through your armies led by General Jinjur, we have been building our strength to the point where we will, as of this writing, be within hours of readiness to march upon the Emerald City with the intent on restoring the Scarecrow's rule.**

**The remnants of the Munchkinland army under Sergeant Arlee Armey have united with our four-region task force under the other three respective commanders…myself, Captain Rigorick's gillikins in his Purple Heart Patrol, and Commander Practiss of the Rainbow Dragoons in the Quadling Country…with the intent to overwhelm your wooden soldiers using brutal but non-lethal force unless you agree to the following terms.**

**- The immediate release of Dorothy Gale from whatever manner of**

**confinement you have inflicted upon her,**

**- The prompt disenchantment of all soldiers, civilian and otherwise,**

**who have been magically conscripted unto wooden bodies,**

**- The full restoration, unto the Scarecrow of Oz, of his royal status**

**and rulership, and the effective nullification of the Writ of Ownership**

**to which he was previously bound.**

**You have until the dawning of the next morning's sun to comply with these terms, presenting yourself outside the south gate of the Emerald City…alone, and unarmed…as a gesture of your willingness to agree to these terms without the need for unnecessary violence. **

**Such a gesture will be given consideration when you are brought to justice.**

**Sincerely,**

**Major Graffs P. Stalwart  
><strong>**Commander, Shining Battalion  
><strong>**Winkie Country**

Ugu's face contorted to a most furious visage once he finished reading the parchment one of the mouse maids had so nervously delivered to him. Angrily crumpling the parchment into a ball, and then tossing it to the side, he burst out of the throne room seat and headed for the large suite of rooms that were once the living quarters of the Wizard of Oz.

His intent was clear. He had to deal with this so-called 'four-region task force' quickly, brutally, and lethally before they even made their approach to the city. Ugu had just the tool to do it, too…

…seeing as how he had one wish left upon the Golden Cap. Ugu grinned menacingly over his good fortune as he hurried to the stairs, and he was already looking forward to the stories of the task force being completely overwhelmed by the far more cruel swarms of winged monkeys.

But just as he reached the door to the rooms, he started hearing a cacophany of familiar chitters and screeches. Much of it was apparently right by the door, too.

He then realized that his last request to Jellia Jamb was to restrict her to the personal and constant upkeep of his quarters. Ugu figured that she was so terrified and meek, she wouldn't dare touch anything she was not supposed to…but Jellia was the only logical explanation for the sight of all the winged monkeys literally lifting all of the mouse maids into the skies, and flying them away from the city.

And this was what he saw evidence of once Ugu opened the door to his quarters. Jellia even saw him opening the door just as she was being carried out, the Golden Cap still on her head. Jellia waved to the old shoemaker as the winged simians carried her away, a sly smile on her furry face as Ugu tried rushing forward to grab her before she was out of reach, only to stumble to the ground awkwardly.

Peeking out of from the darkness of a nearby closet, however, a pair of frightened eyes could be seen, and the quiet sound of shaky panting was not immediately noticed by the angry usurper rising up from the ground.

Ugu's sudden appearance had effectively blocked Tula's only chance to join the rest of the mouse maids who took advantage of Jellia's risky gambit. Hearing all the winged monkeys distancing themselves from the city, Tula's furry head lowered in despair.

She then recoiled fearfully at the sound of Ugu's sudden holler of absolute rage. What he screamed angrily to the heavens from the balcony filled little Tula with dread…

"_FOOLS! _THE EMERALD CITY IS _MINE! _I WILL _DESTROY _IT BEFORE I SURRENDER IT!"

Tula watched him stalk away from the balcony, and then bring a hand to a bulge in one of the front pockets of his vest, pulling this bulge out in the form of a pouch. The little mouse maid could not see its content as Ugu extracted it.

Ugu stared down at the glowing zosozo in his hand, still wondering to himself if there were any other options. With the winged monkeys now lost to him, and this task force preparing to overwhelm him from all sides of the city, he knew the wooden soldiers he had left in the city...aside from Jinjur, who he had sent on that "special mission" alongside two of her wooden munchkin officers…would not be enough to stem the tide of the effort to re-take the city, no matter how hard they tried.

There was no way he was going to comply with the demands he had been given, although he certainly found it amusing that they all thought he had Dorothy Gale in captivity. As much as he had wanted to someday use the zosozo in a bid to conquer Herku and overthrow Vig, all these setbacks were leaving him with no choice.

Ugu hoped that taking the zosozo, at his advanced age, would not somehow kill him from the sudden infusion of such power upon his body. It would have been embarrassing for him to rest all his hopes upon a resource he had been secretly carrying on his person for a considerably long time, only to die from whatever manner of shock it would inflict upon his body.

Ugu ultimately judged that it was all worth the risk as he finally brought the zosozo to his mouth, and swallowed it whole.

Although the old man did indeed feel a shock, it was hardly catastrophic. In fact, he began to feel a rising surge of energy flood every fiber of his being as his nervous expression evolved to a much more pleased one. A sick grin was on his now skull-shaped head, the skin of his body wrapping tightly around his bones as the zosozo augmented the old shoemaker's physical strength significantly.

Beyond the initial shock, the zosozo didn't even hurt him as he changed.

Tula watched in horror, however, as he saw this wicked old man become something far more terrifying in appearance. The shoulder-length gray hair on his head became quite string-like as it hung down from the skull his head now resembled. His hands were now skin-wrapped, bone-shaped digits as he went from his hunched posture to a more exultant one, practically giggling in a much more fearsome and inhuman voice. His clothes now hung loosely from his figure as well as he muttered something about the change 'not being as painful as he thought it would be', among his other more hateful mumbles.

It was when this abomination began banging his fists against one of the walls of the room that compelled Tula to make an escape attempt despite the sharp tremors Ugu's double-fisted blow had provoked. It was as if the entire place was being hit by a veritable earthquake as the monstrosity kept pounding and pounding angrily within his quarters.

Tula found it quite difficult to keep herself stable with all the physical punishment the royal palace was taking from Ugu's blows. She practically tumbled down the steps in her mad dash to get away from the vile creature who was apparently destroying the royal palace from within. The mouse maid could still hear his growls and roars of rage as he kept up his constant pounding and pulverizing.

Although she desperately tried to reach the front doors of the royal palace despite the debris dropping down from above, it was slow going for the frightened mouse maid. She was only halfway to the door when another massive and violent shaking seemed to bring the entire second floor of the royal palace down upon the first.

Tula, however, was quite luckily unharmed. Although she was covered from head to toe in dust, not one scrap of the debris that rained down from above had landed anywhere near her.

She was, however, quaking in complete terror. Some of the walls around her, however, had collapsed, giving her a little more access to the outside, and she saw frightened citizens gathering around the palace at a safe distance.

Tula began her slow approach towards one of these breached walls…

…but the scent of cheese suddenly filled her wiggling nostrils. With her stomach yearning for another helping of that which she naturally craved since becoming a mouse girl, she slowly turned around, estimating that the delectable scent was right behind her.

Tula then froze, her eyes boggling, as Ugu's skeletal hand held a small helping of cheese out to her. He seemed to be grinning wickedly as his now glowing eyes leered upon the petrified, quaking mouse maid.

"Want some _candy, _little mouse?" The abomination asked, in his now horribly inhuman voice. The skeletal monstrosity then cruelly snapped the digits of the hand shut, destroying the cheese resting upon its palm as Tula squealed out in terror.

* * *

><p>Ojo's eyes blinked open just as he begun to nod off. He was sitting in a very comfortable seat in Lo's living room. The nameless servant boy had just entered the room with two large glasses of lacasa, one of which he presented to the munchkin boy who sat up from the more lazy position he had been in.<p>

"Busy day." The servant boy idly observed.

Ojo nodded. "Too busy." He then leaned forward, a look of curiosity on his face. "What did Mombi mean when she called you…'your high…'"

But the boy raised a hand in restraint as he interjected. "I can't answer that. You're just gonna have to respect that. It's a long story, and I really don't wanna go into it."

Hesitantly, Ojo nodded in understanding. "OK…I'm sorry." He drank down a portion of his drink. "How's Lo doing?"

"I'm not sure." The boy replied after drinking down some of the lacasa in his own glass. "She didn't say much at all after she went out to cast that sleep spell on Mombi."

"I'm sure glad she did _that_." Ojo shook his head, remembering the ruckus Lo had effectively silenced. "I've never heard so much nasty yelling and cackling in my life."

The boy nodded in agreement. "Then Lo had the Woozy follow her down to that workshop of hers. Usually, she doesn't mind me going down with her…but this time, she said she wanted to be alone with the Woozy while she figured out how to get those hairs off of his tail."

Ojo nodded, drinking the rest of his lacasa in the next big tilt of his glass. He then rose to his feet. "I think I'll go out and keep an eye on Mombi. I'll be back in a few."

The boy nodded as he took Ojo's empty glass and brought it to the sink of Lo's kitchen area. Stepping outside the munchkin house, the boy glanced idly up to the darkened skies as he approached the area where Mombi was bound above the ground.

The old crone was still there, thankfully. She was still deep in her enchanted slumber, as well.

"She's certainly a lot better off that way, isn't she?"

Ojo gasped, the voice of the patchwork girl surprising him. "Oh…it's you, Scraps."

"Oh, mercy me…I'm sorry." Dorothy remarked. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Ojo nodded in understanding. "Speaking of scares…where's the Scarecrow?"

"He's visiting the Mayor at the moment." The stuffed patchwork girl replied. "Figured I'd go and watch Mombi. Looks like we both had the same idea."

Ojo chuckled. "No doubt. Mombi's dangerous enough." He then looked over Dorothy's colorful patchwork quilt figure. "So who made you, Scraps? And why?"

Dorothy began to figure out an appropriate reply as she spoke. She did have to maintain her alternate identity, after all. "Well…I…don't remember _who _it was that made me…but I think…it was someone who…who thought the Scarecrow, being such a lonely king, needed a friend. Someone just like him. Someone…someone who looked like that Dorothy Gale girl. Someone who could be, like, a royal advisor. Someone who could make sure he made the right decisions as a king."

Ojo nodded thoughtfully. "I wish he were back on the throne. I think that Wizard made a good decision in making him our king."

"Oh, I agree!" Dorothy smiled. "But…what if he didn't _want _to be king anymore, Ojo?"

"Then that would be a real shame." Ojo replied. "But…if he really felt so strongly about his reasons, then I would hope that we could find someone better to replace him."

"Can _you_ think of anyone?" Dorothy curiously asked.

"Oh, you shouldn't ask me something like that." Ojo replied, looking crestfallen. "I'm a very unlucky munchkin. If I made a suggestion, we'd probably wind up with a really bad king."

Dorothy frowned at this. "Why do you think you're so unlucky?"

"Oh, I _know _I'm unlucky, Scraps." Ojo responded. "I was born on a Friday, and it was the thirteenth day of the month. What happened to Glinda, the Doctor, and his wife is my fault, too." He then lowered his head lamentedly. "_I'm _the reason we're having all these problems. If it weren't for that accident I caused, none of this would be happening."

The patchwork girl placed her cotton-stuffed hand on Ojo's shoulder in consolation. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Ojo. Accidents can happen to anyone, not just you. I think even Dorothy Gale would agree. I…I may not know Dorothy very well, but I'm sure some unlucky things have happened to _her_, too."

"But she wasn't _born _unlucky, Scraps." Ojo countered, the rising frustration in his voice clearly evident. "Even when it looks like I _am _getting lucky, there's always some kind of problem that comes up. I mean, I found the Woozy and I got the six-leaf clover and the water…but we can't get those hairs off the Woozy's tail, so we can't make that antidote, can we?"

"Ojo, calm down." Dorothy calmly remarked. "We'll think of something. We've _got _to. Maybe…maybe _you'll _come up with something!"

Ojo sighed in irritation, however, as he stepped away from the patchwork girl. "Stop it, just _stop _it!" Tears began to well up in his eyes as he kept distancing himself from Dorothy. "Look, just leave me alone, okay? Maybe…maybe things will get better for everyone if…if I…"

Ojo then dashed away, sobbing as he ran.

"WAIT! OJO! COME BACK! PLEASE!" Dorothy cried out, racing after him. But the munchkin boy had gotten a considerable distance in his approach to the nearby woodlands of the community, not far from the cave where he had confronted the Woozy. The patchwork girl sighed, hanging her head in her worry for Ojo. She had wanted to try and say something that would help, but she figured…or rather, she hoped…the helpful, well-meaning munchkin boy could work out his conundrum on his own.

Ojo stopped at a tree and rested himself against it, sinking to the ground as he covered his face with both of his hands, sobbing openly over his apparent curse.

"Poooooor, pooooooor Ojo." The boy then heard a familiar voice speak, in a mocking tone. "Poooooor, unlucky Ojo."

As the munchkin boy pulled his hands away to confirm who was in front of him, however, the china-wrought form of Azmo rushed right up to Ojo's tear-drenched face with a grinning, vengeful glare.

Ojo couldn't believe it in his hesitation. He wondered how the deceptive china country magician could have broken out of his icy prison…

…but in that hesitation, the glossy hands of the magician were now upon the wet spots of Ojo's cheeks, and the boy began to feel a coldness run through his munchkin body. His eyes widened in terror as he watched the court magician's size increase.

"Unlike _you, _I count myself _lucky _in this opportunity, don't you think, you little _crybaby?_" Azmo gloated.

Ojo calmly closed his eyes, however, not wanting to know what was happening to him, but not feeling terribly distraught about it, either, given his moment of self-loathing as the physical natures of both Azmo and Ojo were effectively traded through Azmo's magic within minutes. As Ojo's tears were the catalyst for the magician's horrific spell, the munchkin boy's entire body…and his clothes…had become fine china once the process was complete.

And, standing before him was the much more human-looking Azmo, now very much flesh and blood. He took a deep, satisfying breath in his exultation. "_Finally! _After all that _humiliating_ time…" Azmo then smirked down at the former munchkin boy, grabbing him and lifting him off the ground to bring the china-wrought boy to his frowning face. "…I should _break _you for what you did to me back in the China Country, _boy_…but as it happens, you have someone that I want, and I think you _know _who I mean."

Ojo's eyes, however, remained closed in his silent regret. At this point, he didn't care _what _Azmo was going to do to him.

"Your friends also seem to have a pair of red slippers that sounded interesting to me." The treacherous magician turned around. "Perhaps I can bargain for th…"

The glowing head of Lo's staff touched Azmo's forehead, and the crafty magician's consciousness immediately switched off. Dorothy dove underneath Ojo to provide the transformed boy with a much softer and safer landing than he expected.

The former munchkin boy opened his eyes as Dorothy held the boy before her patchwork face, a miserable look on his own face. "See what I mean, Scraps?" He remarked lamentedly.

"Ojo…" Lo walked over to look upon the now smaller boy Dorothy held. "…who was it he was looking for?"

Ojo turned his head to the munchkin witch, and calmly answered her inquiry, sharing with her his experiences at the China Country in so doing, and also explaining Azmo's association with the Woozy.

When the china boy was finished, Lo smiled. "I don't care when you were born, my young friend." She grabbed the ankles of the magician and dragged him along the road as Dorothy stepped next to her. "I think your perceived run of bad luck has just changed. _Again._"

At that moment, a familiar cacophony of chitters and shrieks…all of it simian in nature…filled the skies above Munchkinland. The initial, prevailing reaction was one of shock…

…but it was when they settled to the ground that the terrible surprise became one of wild astonishment when the winged monkeys safely deposited each and every one of the mouse maids from the Emerald City around where Lo stood.

The munchkin witch was speechless. "Wha…!"

But then, Lo's gaze settled upon the only mouse maid wearing the Golden Cap as Jellia Jamb stepped over to her, a timid smile on her furry, buck-toothed face.

Dorothy looked to Ojo, smiling. "Looks like you're not the _only _one in good fortune tonight."

* * *

><p>"No…" Major Stalwart's face was a mask of horror as he closed in on the Emerald City, the armies of all four regions behind him. "…it <em>can't <em>be!"

_Smoke_ was actually rising from the city's interiors! As they came upon the north gate, screaming could also be heard. As much as the Major…and most of his men…expected that they would see the usurper willingly give himself up to the army in response to the delivered ultimatum, seeing complete chaos…and hearing violent bangs of apparent destruction…was hardly the kind of result _any _of the men expected at all.

Nevertheless, the undaunted Major gave the signal to advance. "MOVE IN! Find the usurper! Protect as many as you can! _Stop this madness!_"

With a kick to his red horse of a different color, Major Stalwart…and the armies behind him…surged into the Emerald City, beating back the wooden soldiers that were posted there. The mounted winkie soldiers of the Shining Battalion…all of them on horses of a different color…applied their weapons in a non-lethal fashion to beat back the wooden soldiers, while the rest of the groups of soldiers either established protection for the terrified flesh-and-blood citizens, or began to advance upon the source of the vicious bangs coming from the center of the city.

It was Captain Rigorick and the munchkin Sergeant called Arlee, however, who paid witness not only to the partial wreckage of the royal palace, but also to the skeletally-thin abomination who had caused it.

As the horrified soldiers gazed upon the shoemaker's zosozo-augmented form, he let out a wicked cackle as he emerged from the shadows. He seemed to be dragging someone behind him with one hand, while his other arm was behind him, as if to hide something.

"Sorry I couldn't appear before you out front, gentlemen." Ugu sarcastically remarked. "But as you can see, I've had to make a few…adjustments…around here."

Rigorick's right eyebrow arched upward in astonishment. "_You _caused all this damage?"

"What manner of wicked sorcery is _this?_" Arlee exclaimed, doubly shocked by this claim.

"Ancient Herku secret, boys." Ugu replied, in his entirely inhuman voice. "Now, it's _my _turn to make the ultimatum, yes?"

The skeletally-thin shoemaker then presented the unconscious form of a young mouse maid, holding her head by the neck in the firm grip of his bony digits.

Arlee immediately recognized the little girl as he gasped in shock. "_Tula?_" He turned to Rigorick. "Captain…that's my niece!"

Major Stalwart and his mounted comrades rode in just in time to hear Ugu make his demands, despite the shocked expressions on their faces. "First, you will all drop your weapons…or I will squeeze the life out of this pathetic little mouse."

Weapons clattered to the ground once Rigorick and Arlee disarmed themselves. They then looked to Major Stalwart, who regarded Ugu with a scrutinizing stare…

…and in the next moment, he, too, disarmed himself, his mounted comrades following suit.

"Very good." Ugu then dropped the still-unconscious mouse maid to the rubble below. He then turned his attention to Stalwart. "Now…you and your men will leave this city at once, and never again return unless you are ordered to…" The skeletal shoemaker then revealed the flask of a bright red liquid that was in his other hand. "…or I drink _this_. I think you would all agree that while I'm certainly powerful enough to cause _this _kind of damage, being _larger than life _would be utterly…_devastating_."

"If we are to leave…" Stalwart gestured to the unconscious former munchkin maid. "…let us take her with us!"

"_Denied_." Ugu growled back. "If I let her go with you, that would leave me without a maid to take good care of me." He chuckled menacingly at this. "Now _get out of my city._" He then commanded.

Stalwart heaved a long and hopeless sigh, closing his eyes in contemplation of his response. The eyes of every soldier in the area were on him, waiting to see how he would respond.

When his eyes opened, he fixed a determined stare upon the skeletal conqueror. "You haven't seen the last of us, usurper." His eyes then went to his men as Stalwart called out his next order. "_Fall back_. We are leaving the city!"

As the soldiers began their retreat, one of them…a Private…looked to Captain Rigorick. "Why are we running? There are enough of us to overwhelm that thing!" The gillikin soldier silently asked his Captain.

"He mentioned the walled-in winkie community of Herku, Private." One of the mounted soldiers quietly replied. "In that town, people who look just like the usurper are strong enough to enslave giants. No matter how many of us there are, we would not last very long against that man's immense strength."

None of the soldiers replied to any within the city pleading for them to stay as they made their way back out of the city. It particularly pained them to hear the sounds of sobbing as they gradually retreated. Once they were all gone, the recovering wooden soldiers resumed their places at the gates.

The mass of soldiers from all over the land of Oz formed in front of Major Stalwart as he stopped his purple horse and turned it around to face them.

"Surround the city." He then ordered. "We are forming a defensive perimeter. I don't care _how _strong that monster is. If he's going to spread his rampage to any of the four realms surrounding the city, he'll have to come through us first."

The Major then established night and day watches among the assembled soldiers, while the mounted soldiers of the Shining Battalion began keeping a watchful eye on the city itself from the outside, riding in pairs.

One mounted soldier, however, was given special orders. At the Major's behest, the young soldier directed his red-colored steed to race to the west.

Their newly-ordained, tin-plated Emperor, after all, needed to know what was going on.

* * *

><p>With not one, but two potential threats neutralized through Locasta's magic, Dorothy and the Scarecrow agreed to serve as the primary evening watch while the munchkin witch, and the rest of Munchkinland, retired for the evening following Azmo's capture. He subsequently shared Mombi's fate…all four limbs of his body bound by firmly-tied ropes, and suspended above the ground…although he was separated from the still-slumbering gillikin witch.<p>

Separated about 30 feet from each other, it was certainly feasible for the pair of stuffed sentinels to watch the slumbering belligerents while being able to stay together. As the Woozy and the china boy Ojo had become similarly did not require sleep, they voluntarily agreed to watch over Lo as she slept in her home.

The Scarecrow looked to Dorothy curiously as they sat on a large rock, both of them facing Azmo and Mombi. "Do you miss having to sleep, Dorothy?"

The patchwork girl shrugged. "It's…kinda strange, but…I think I can get used to it." She then smiled, turning her head to the former king of Oz. "Not like I have to worry about nightmares, after all."

The Scarecrow nodded, smiling back. "I guess not!" His face then went curious again. "But…I would think you'd miss being able to dream. That's the one thing I envy about meat people. I could never have dreams, being a scarecrow."

"Some meat people could envy _you_, though." Dorothy countered. "Being able to go all day, all night without getting tired out…especially when you have such a perfect brain…"

"But from what I've heard about dreams, they could take you to the happiest places you've ever been in. Everything would be perfect, wouldn't it?" The Scarecrow thoughtfully interjected. Another thought compelled him to lean in closer to Dorothy as he shared it. "Say…when you went back home to Kansas, did you dream about any of us? The Lion, or…or Nick…or me?"

Dorothy smiled tenderly. "I think the three of you have always been in my dreams in some way, Scarecrow. Especially you."

"Can you remember any of them, Dorothy? Your dreams, that is?"

"Well…dreams can be kind of hard to remember, Scarecrow…" Dorothy replied. "…but I would think that when young meat people like…well, like the girl I used to be…would have a dream, they would probably dream about a place just like Oz. They might dream about things that aren't possible in their world. Dream about…having the sky rain down popcorn, or…or meeting Santa Claus, or something."

The Scarecrow looked surprised at this. "How interesting! According to Mr. Bolger, the sky rains popcorn in the faraway land of Mo, and there's a jolly old man by that very name in a place called Merryland! He even shares gifts with meat people all over the world on a single December night!"

Dorothy looked surprised at this. "Are you _serious? _There really _is _a Santa Claus? But…Aunt Em told me that it's just regular people who dress up as him during Christmas time."

"Well, that legend had to come from _somewhere,_ don't you think?" The Scarecrow reasoned. "He _is _the patron saint of children, after all! Say…did you want to meet him, Dorothy? Just say the word, and you and I, we'll head on over to Merryland and…and you'll get to meet the _real _Santa Claus! It'd be a dream you wouldn't have to go to sleep to experience, wouldn't it?"

The patchwork girl nodded, smiling tenderly. "Something to think about once we've rescued Glinda."

The Scarecrow nodded back as his eyes returned to Azmo's slumbering form. "So that's the man who created the Woozy." He idly observed. "He must have felt terrible when he found out that man created him to be a menace."

"Well…I guess the son doesn't always have to be like the father…which is a good thing, of course, in the Woozy's case." Dorothy thoughtfully mused. "Do you think you're anything like Mr. Bolger, Scarecrow?"

"Hmmm…I would think I'm not as _lazy _as Mr. Bolger tends to be, but…I'd like to think he and I share good qualities." The former king of Oz replied. "What about _you,_ Dorothy? Do you think you're anything like your father? Or your mother?"

The patchwork girl lowered her head, thinking on this understandably compelling inquiry for reasons she was not afraid to share. "I…I don't know, Scarecrow. I never knew my father. I know my mother passed away…but from what Aunt Em told me, my father gave me to them when I was just a baby. She never told me why he did that. She never talks much about my father, either."

The Scarecrow placed a hand on the patchwork girl's shoulder. "Do you know anything about your mother, at least?"

Dorothy had a slight smile on her face as she glanced back to the former king of Oz. "I guess I'm more like her than I am my father, unless I ever find out otherwise."

"Why?"

The stuffed patchwork girl tenderly placed a smooth hand upon the Scarecrow's burlap face with a wider smile on her face. "We're both dreamers."

Dorothy then pressed her lips upon the Scarecrow's as they once again locked in a loving embrace, not realizing that the skies above were well into its morning transition.

When Lo, Ojo, and the Woozy emerged from the munchkin witch's house a couple of hours later, Lo wielding the long, L-headed staff in one hand, they saw Dorothy and the Scarecrow still sitting there, the patchwork girl's head resting on the shoulder of the former king of Oz, with an arm wrapped around his shoulders.

Lo smiled seeing this. "Spooned your way through the night, eh?" She amusedly observed.

The stuffed, smiling sentinels rose to their feet, Dorothy being the first to speak. "Good morning, Lo."

"Still no luck on getting those hairs out?" The Scarecrow indicated the Woozy as he spoke.

Lo shook her head, gesturing to Azmo. "Which is why I intend to question our latest guest. If he did create the Woozy, he can explain where those hairs came from. I…have my suspicions as to what kind of hairs they are, but believe me when I say that I hope I'm wrong."

"You should make sure he doesn't cast any spells while you question him." Dorothy warned.

Lo nodded. "I'll give him the same warning I gave Mombi."

Ojo stared over at Mombi's unconscious form curiously. "Wow…she's _still _sleeping?"

"In their current states, the only person who can rouse them out of their slumber would be the one who put them to sleep in the first place." Lo explained. She then impaled the long staff in the soil near Azmo's bound feet, and the head began to glow the same way it did with Mombi.

With one hand upon the back of Azmo's head, she began to whisper incomprehensible words of magic. She then stepped away from the human magician as he began to stir back to life. The frowning Woozy stepped over to Lo defensively, and Ojo positioned himself next to his four-legged friend.

Azmo's eyes finally fluttered to life, eventually staying open as he immediately began to struggle against his bonds. Once Lo saw this, she firmly laid her warning down regarding the penalty for even trying to cast a spell: the permanent loss of his voice.

"As if I weren't humiliated _enough!_" Azmo growled. "How did you know I was out here with that wretched boy anyway?"

"It's quite impossible to escape the notice of a witch whose mirror can show more than one's reflection." Lo replied. "My own powers, however, pale in comparison to those of my coven-sister, who will be quite displeased when she finds out what you have done to Ojo."

The tone of Azmo's voice, and his expression, were defiantly severe in his response. "You'll get _nothing _from me unless I get that so-called 'Woozy' in return! I created him, and so he is rightfully _mine!_"

"Oh, really?" The Scarecrow hoped this ploy would work. "Do you have a Writ of Ownership to prove that?"

Azmo looked entirely mystified at this request. "Since _when _am I required to have _documentation _just to create something? What backwards community could possibly inaugurate such a silly rule?"

"_Silly? _I'll have you know that the great and powerful Wizard of Oz established that rule!" The Scarecrow countered, making an effort to sound shocked.

"You wouldn't, perchance, be referring to that Nebraska-born charlatan who quite literally floated away from his own people after sending a harmless little girl out to do his dirty work?" Azmo calmly shot back, rolling some of his 'r's as he spoke.

At this, the Scarecrow shrugged to Lo, clearly called on his failed attempt at a deception. "Worth a try."

"Hmph!" Azmo huffed. "Thinkology, indeed. I might as well be Azmo the _astute _compared to you, you straw-headed clown."

"At least the Scarecrow's creator didn't want him to be a _weapon!_" Dorothy scolded.

"And what purpose were _you _created for, dolly?" Azmo countered. "Some annoying little girly's playmate?"

"_Krizzle-kroo!_" Ojo angrily called out, noticing that the Woozy was standing right in front of Azmo's bound feet.

The Woozy's blast of fire caught onto Azmo's pants, and he let out a girlish shriek with the intensity of the heat, and the presence of the flame patches now eating at his loose-fitting trousers. "AAAAAHHH! Ahh! Ahh! Fire! FIRE! Put it out! PUT IT OUT! It _hurts!_"

The Scarecrow looked to Lo, who nodded. The former king of Oz then began to extinguish the flames, as did Dorothy, before they could do any damage beyond the visible black burn marks on Azmo's pants.

"Don't you _ever _talk back to my friends like that again!" Ojo scolded.

"You miserable little china _brat!_" Azmo furiously growled. "I'll _break _you for this!"

"What? What was that? You said you want _more?_" The Scarecrow looked to Ojo. "I think this ruffian needs a little more fire!"

"NNNOOO! Please, no! No more fire, I beg you!" Azmo pathetically blubbered, struggling fruitlessly in his bonds.

"Then you'd better answer that munchkin woman's questions!" Ojo indicated Locasta.

"I have been told you created the Woozy here." Lo calmly began. "Most unusual creature…quite charming, too. Clearly, very unlike the kind of creature you intended. The only thing I find a bit odd about him…" The witch indicated the tail. "…are these three stiff and stubby hairs here."

"Ho ho! Been trying to remove them, haven't you?" Azmo mused. "They won't come out, little munchkin. No matter how hard you try, nor can they be simply snipped off!"

"Clearly." Lo responded. "But those hairs had to have come from somewhere. I know they're not normal human hairs…and unless you would prefer Ojo to command your fire-breathing creation to, shall we say, turn up the heat? I need you to be truthful in telling me where you acquired those hairs."

"Or I could try speaking magic words!" Azmo remarked, smirking defiantly. "And then you would get _nothing _out of me!"

"_Krizzle-kroo!_" Ojo called out.

Another burst of flame from the Woozy had Azmo howling another pathetic shriek, this time from three larger areas of his pants that had caught fire. Dorothy and the Scarecrow looked to Lo, but she held her hand up in restraint.

"OOOOWWWW! It hurts! _It huuuurts!_" Azmo screamed. "PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OOOUT!"

"The _hairs, _Azmo!" Ojo yelled.

"AAAHHH! OK! OK! I…I got them from the Yoop! The _Yooooop! _In the Quadling Country!" Azmo screamed out, writhing in his bonds from the pain the fires were causing him. "I _swear that's the truth!_"

"_Now, _you can put those fires out." Lo confirmed to Dorothy and the Scarecrow, who rushed over to pat out the fires. As they did, the munchkin witch turned away from the bound magician with a look of deep contemplation. When she did, she noticed that Jellia Jamb…still in her furry mouse form…had joined the group.

"Um…D…do you know anything about thith 'Yoop', Lo?" Jellia timidly asked.

Lo shook her head. "Although I fancy that one of your maids is from the Quadling Country? Perhaps we can find out more from this maid."

"OK…I…I'll athk around." Jellia meekly responded, rubbing at her own furry hands nervously. She then stepped away on her digitigrade legs to question her maidstaff.

Ojo stepped over to Lo, looking curious. "Why don't we just ask _him?_" He indicated Azmo.

"Oh, I think he's been through enough for the moment, Ojo." Lo replied. "We know who the hairs came from, and where to go to get them. If we can't find out anything about this Yoop from any of the quadling maids, we'll come back to Azmo."

"Not like he's gonna go anywhere, after all." The Woozy noted to the china boy.

"For the moment, I think we could do with a bit of breakfast." Lo then looked to Dorothy and the Scarecrow as they all walked away from Azmo, their voices weakening as they distanced themselves from the wicked magician. "I know you both don't eat, so perhaps you can go down and…"

Azmo looked quite furious. His lightly singed leg still hurt, and his joints were beginning to ache from being in such a humiliating position.

He then thoughtfully glanced at the lightly-glowing staff that was planted in the ground in front of him.

The magician cursed the group for fools for leaving him alone. The entire time, he had been thinking about a certain spell which could get him out of this predicament. A spell which could quite possibly de-power the staff.

All that was required was but two words. Two quick words, by Azmo's estimation.

Those words could effectively dispel the magic in the staff, and he could follow up with a spell that would free him from the bonds, and he would make good on his temporary escape.

And then, he would plan his revenge upon that former munchkin boy who ruined _everything_. Some way he could shatter his body completely. Yes, he thought to himself. There were ways this could be done.

But the staff had to be de-powered first.

Fixing his eyes upon the idle staff, he inhaled the breath he needed for the words he needed to speak as quickly and as clearly as he could. It was so logical, he thought. It _had _to work!

It was now or never. "Presti…"

And that was the last, partial word Azmo ever spoke, for the resultant flash of light from the staff zapped his vocal chords, permanently rendering him a mute!

Only Glinda had the degree of magic power necessary to cancel the effect...but would _any _good witch, knowing how wicked Azmo had been, willingly want to restore the treacherous magician's ability to speak?

Only time would tell.


End file.
